Record 72.13% voting in Karnataka Assembly polls

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A record 72.13 per cent of the over 5.06 crore electorate voted during the Karnataka assembly elections, the state Chief Electoral Officer said on Sunday.

"The final voter turnout is 72.13 per cent in 222 constituencies, including 36 reserved for Scheduled Castes and 15 for Scheduled Tribes," said CEO Sanjiv Kumar in a statement, a day after the polling on Saturday.

The election in Bengaluru's Raja Rajeshwari (RR) Nagar seat was postponed to May 28 while it was countermanded in Jayanagar segment due to the death of BJP candidate and MLA B.N. Vijaya Kumar on May 4.

"The highest voting percentage of 89.97 was recorded in Hosakote in Bengaluru Rural district, with the lowest 48.03 per cent in Dasarahalli in Bengaluru Urban."

High voting percentage was also reported from Srinivaspur in Kolar district (88.40), Chikaballapur (87.86), Gundlupet in Chamarajnagar (87.50), Aakul in Hassan (87.32).

Four segments with low voting percentage were C.V. Raman Nagar in Bengaluru (48.98), BTM Layout in Bengaluru South (50.09), Sarvagnagar in Bengaluru North (51.19) and Bommanahalli in Bengaluru South (52).

Counting of votes will be taken up on May 15. In RR Nagar, vote count will be on May 31.

As ordered by the Election Commission, repoll will be held on Monday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Lottegollahalli polling station of Bengaluru North's Hebbal segment due to an EVM glitch.

In Chamundeshwari seat in Mysuru and Badami seat in Bagalkot district which Chief Minister Siddaramaiah contested, 76.05 per cent and 74.65 per cent votes were polled respectively.

In Varuna in Mysuru district, where Siddaramaiah's son Yetindra was in the fray, 78.59 per cent votes were polled.

In Shikaripura in Shivamogga district of Malnad region, where BJP chief ministerial nominee B. Yeddyurappa was a candidate, voting percentage was 81.45.

In Ramangara and Channapatna segments in Ramangara district, where Janata Dal (JD-S) state President and former Chief Minster H.D Kumaraswamy was in the fray, 82.55 and 85.86 per cent votes were polled respectively.

The maximum number of segments with lower voting are in Bengaluru where polling was held in 26 of its 28 constituencies, with percentage ranging between 48.03 in Dasarahalli and 60.13 in Yeshwantapura.

BJP's Lok Sabha lawmaker from Ballari, B.R. Sriramaulu, contested Badami and Molakalumu in Chitradurga. In the latter seat, 82.72 per cent votes were cast.

--IANS

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