JD-S expects possibility of forming government: Deve Gowda

Just after casting his vote, Janata Dal (Secular) (JD-S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda on Saturday said that his party expects a possibility of forming the government.

"We expect a possibility of forming the government, we have done well," Gowda told ANI here.

Gowda cast his vote at polling booth no.244 in Holenarasipura town in Hassan district. His wife Chennamma Deve Gowda, son HD Revanna and other family members were also present along with him.

JD-S is looking to establish itself once again in Karnataka politics and is expected to give a tough fight to both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress.

Earlier in the day, the chief ministerial candidate of the JD-S, H.D. Kumaraswamy, met Nirmalanandanatha Mahaswami of Sri Adichunchanagiri Mahasamsthana Math in Jayanagar amidst polling for the Karnataka Assembly.

The polling, which began at 7 am in 58,546 polling stations, each equipped with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verified Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs), will conclude at 6 pm.

The election in two constituencies, Jayanagar and R.R. Nagar, has been postponed.

A total of 2,654 candidates are in the fray and 4.96-crore electorate, including 2.44 crore women, will cast their votes. Over 15 lakh people are first-time voters in the 18-19 age group.

Tight security is in place to ensure smooth and peaceful polling that is underway across the 222 seats out of 224 assembly constituencies.