About 50pc turnout in Mandya, Bangalore Rural LS bypoll

An estimated 50 per cent of the electorate cast their ballots in peaceful Lok Sabha bypoll today in Mandya and Bangalore Rural, which witnessed a straight contest between the ruling Congress and JDS.
Election Commission officials estimated the voting percentage to be 52-53 in Mandya and 46-47 in Bangalore Rural marking a moderate turnout as voters appeared to be less enthusiastic to exercise their franchise.
Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer Anil Kumar Jha told PTI, "Voting was completely peaceful. Polling has not been brisk and polling percentage will not be high."
The bypoll was necessitated following the resignation of N Cheluvaryaswamy (Mandya) and H D Kumaraswamy (Bangalore Rural), both from JDS of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, who quit after being elected to the Legislative Assembly in the elections held in May.

The BJP backed JDS in the two segments and did not field candidates.
The Congress fielded actor Ramya and D K Suresh, brother of Congress leader D K Shivakumar, while C S Puttaraju and Anit Kumaraswamy, wife of H D Kumaraswamy, jumped into the fray, from Mandya and Bangalore Rural, respectively.
Both JDS and Congress had resorted to fierce campaigning in the two segments, turning them into a battle of prestige.