Record turnout in Karnataka assembly by-polls

An average of 78 percent voting was reported Thursday in by-elections to three legislative assembly constituencies in Karnataka where polling was held peacefully amid tight security, a top official said.

"Voting percentage at 6 p.m. when polling ended officially was 86 in Chikkodi-Sadalga, 72 in Bellary (reserved) and 71 in Shikaripura," state chief electoral officer A.K. Jha told reporters here.

As a number of voters in many polling booths across the three assembly segments were in queues even after 6 p.m., the final polling percentage was likely to be higher.

"We will announce the final voting percentage after getting the figures from all the polling booths later in the night," Jha said.

Counting will be held Aug 25.

The combined electorate in the three assembly segments is 5.57 lakh.

In all, 22 candidates are in fray, while the regional outfit Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) stayed away.

The by-polls were necessitated by vacancies caused by the respective legislators who resigned after winning in the April 17 general elections from Bellary, Chikkodi and Shimoga parliamentary constituencies.

The BJP held Shikaripura and the Congress Chikkodi-Sadalga, while the BSR (Congress), a new party floated by former BJP minister B.R. Sriramulu, represented Bellary (ST).

In the 225-member assembly, including one nominated member, the Congress has 121 MLAs, the BJP 43, the JD-S 40 and independents 9 among others.