In 14 LS segments, Karnataka observes 38.23% voter participation in the first half of the day
The estimated turnout for the first half of the day was 38.23% when Karnataka started the first round of Lok Sabha elections in 14 of the 28 seats on Friday. Of the fourteen sectors holding elections today, Dakshina Kannada achieved the greatest turnout, 48.10 percent, followed by Udupi-Chikmagalur with 46.43 percent, and Bangalore Central with the lowest, 30.10 percent. In Bangalore North, the turnout was 32.25 percent, while in Bangalore South, it was 31.51%.
Election authorities reported that up until 1 PM, 38.23% of the state’s voters had cast their ballots. Voting will close at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday.
The BJP has nominated candidates in 11 seats, the Congress is running in all 14 of the first phase, and its coalition partner JD(S), which joined the National Democratic coalition (NDA) in September of last year, is running in three seats: Hassan, Mandya, and Kolar.
In addition to those three, Udupi-Chikmagalur, Dakshina Kannada, Chitradurga, Tumkur, Mysore, Chamarajanagar, Bangalore Rural, Bangalore North, Bangalore Central, Bangalore South, and Chikkaballapur are the other sectors where elections are being conducted on Friday.
The Congress and JD(S), who were in power in the state at the time and in coalition, had just one member each in these 14 segments of the Lok Sabha in 2019. In Mandya, an independent candidate backed by the party won thanks to the BJP’s 11-point win.
Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress President D K Shivakumar cast his ballot in Doddalahalli in Kanakapura, Ramanagara district, on Friday, accompanied by his family. Sumalatha Ambareesh, a Mandya MP, also voted.
Arun Yogiraj, the sculptor of Ram lalla at Ayodhya Ram Mandir, former Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde, and IT industry stalwarts Kris Gopalakrishnan and Mohandas Pai were among the notable individuals who participated in the voting process throughout the day.
Veteran of biotechnology Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw of Biocon said on social networking site X, “As a responsible citizen of our great country, I have cast my vote,” after her vote. “Jai hind.”
During the early part of the day, movie actors Upendra, Shivarajkumar, and Sudeep also exercised their rights.
