Bengaluru: Voting was held on Tuesday for the second phase of Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka, in 14 constituencies, with about 70 per cent turnout as the Congress and BJP locked horns again on the electoral battleground in less than a fortnight.
According to poll officials, an estimated 69.50 per cent of voters cast their ballots.
“This is tentative. It will vary slightly based on the detailed reports of the PRO (Presiding Officer),” an official said.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the same 14 segments in the first phase had recorded a turnout of 68.43 per cent.
The state has a total of 28 Lok Sabha constituencies. The first phase of polling in the other 14 seats in most of the southern and coastal districts was held on April 26.
The constituencies which went to polls in the first phase, including those in state capital Bengaluru, witnessed a turnout of 69.56 per cent.
“No violence was reported. The second phase of Lok Sabha polls in the state was peaceful,” Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Meena told PTI.
Out of the 14 segments that went to polls today, the highest turnout of 76.23 per cent was recorded in Davangere, followed by Shimoga 76.05 per cent, and least 61.34 per cent in Raichur.
A total of 227 candidates — 206 men and 21 women — were in the fray for the second phase covering northern districts, where more than 2.59 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in 28,269 polling stations.
Tuesday’s elections witnessed a straight fight between the ruling Congress and the BJP in these segments. The JD(S) is not contesting in these seats and is supporting its NDA alliance partner — the BJP.
The segments in northern districts where elections were held are: Chikkodi, Belgaum, Bagalkot, Bijapur, Gulbarga, Raichur, Bidar, Koppal, Bellary, Haveri, Dharwad, Uttara Kannada, Davangere and Shimoga.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, BJP had swept all these 14 seats, defeating Congress and JD(S), which were in alliance and ruling the state back then.
Having scored a thumping victory in the Assembly elections, the Congress appeared determined to put up a strong show in the Lok Sabha polls, while Karnataka is the most important state for the BJP in south India as it’s only here that it had held power in the past.
Davangere has a maximum number of 30 candidates, followed by 23 in Shimoga, and Raichur has the least number – eight.
Former Chief Ministers Basavaraj Bommai (Haveri) and Jagadish Shettar (Balgaum), Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi (Dharwad) and Bhagwanth Khuba (Bidar) — all from BJP; Congress’ Geetha Shivrajkumar (Shimoga) — wife of actor Shivrajkumar and daughter of former CM S Bangarappa, and AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge’s son-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani (Gulbarga), were among the prominent names in the fray.
Also in the contest were MP and veteran BJP leader B S Yediyurappa’s son B Y Raghavendra, party’s suspended leader and former Deputy CM K S Eshwarappa — both from Shimoga, former Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri and ex- Minister B Sreeramulu of BJP from Uttara Kannada and Bellary respectively and retired IAS officer G Kumar Naik of Congress from Raichur, among others.
Stakes are high for several Ministers in this phase with their children in fray.
Sons of Ministers Laxmi Hebbalkar and Eshwar Khandre – Mrinal Ravindra Hebbalkar and Sagar Khandre – contested from Belgaum and Bidar respectively, while daughters of Ministers Satish Jarkiholi and Shivanand Patil – Priyanka Jarkiholi and Samyukta Patil- are in contention in Chikkodi and Bagalkot respectively.
Prabha Mallikarjun, wife of Minister S S Mallikarjun and daughter-in-law of veteran Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa, is in the fray from Davangere.
Veteran BJP leader and former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa was among the early voters today, accompanied by sons — B Y Raghavendra, BJP candidate from Shimoga Lok Sabha segment and B Y Vijayendra, party’s state president — and daughters-in-law.
“Out of 28 Lok Sabha seats, according to me we (BJP) are going to win at least 25 to 26 seats. The atmosphere is very good. Wherever we go people say Modi, Modi, it is going to have its own effect,” Yediyurappa said after voting.
The Lok Sabha polls results will have its impact on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister S K Shivakumar, Vijayendra said, “Congress is under the illusion of winning more than 20 seats based on their guarantees. They will face a shock on the day of counting on June 4. People have more trust in Modi’s permanent guarantees than in Congress’ temporary guarantees.”
Congress
president Mallikarjun Kharge cast his vote in Kalaburagi accompanied by his wife Radhabai Kharge.
Congress will win in Karnataka with a thumping majority, and there is no doubt about it, Kharge said, “Things are good, good reports are coming from everywhere. Alliance partners (INDI Alliance) are getting strength in this third phase (nationally). Definitely in this phase too we will get good support from the people.”
Meanwhile, Shorapur Assembly segment in Yadgir district which went for by-polls today recorded 66.72 per cent voter turnout.
The by-poll is necessitated due to the death of Congress MLA Raja Venkatappa Naik last month.
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