This story is from November 4, 2018

Poor voter turnout a worry for BJP, coalition in Shivamogga

Poor voter turnout a worry for BJP, coalition in Shivamogga
JD(S) candidate Madhu Bangarappa performs puja before the portraits of his grandparents and parents, on Saturday
SHIVAMOGGA: Though the Shivamogga byelection was considered a prestige issue between former CM B S Yeddyurappa and chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, the poor turnout by voters at polling stations left the BJP and coalition partners JD(S) and Congress with much to worry about.
The turnout was way below the 2014 polling figure. During the last parliamentary polls, Shivamogga had polled 72.36%, which was 60.5% at 5pm.
Former CM and state BJP president B S Yeddyurappa, who finished a whirlwind campaign tour of the constituency, on Saturday cast his vote in Ward 132 of Shikaripura.

Before visiting the polling booth, Yeddyurappa performed puja at his home and visited the famous Huccharaya temple and performed a puja at the nearby Raghavendra Mutt.
Yeddyurappa told reporters that he was confident of winning the election by a margin of 2lakh votes. “Wait and see the impact on the coalition government,” he said.
BJP candidate B Y Raghavendra cast his vote at the same booth later, and said that he would win the byelection because people had accepted PM Narendra Modi and BS Yeddyurappa’s development work. “All are curious about this byelection. I will give a positive result,” he said.

Meanwhile, JD(S) and Congress candidate Madhu Bangarappa cast his vote at his birthplace, Kubatur. He performed puja before the photographs of his parents at his Bangara Nivasa residence and village deity Dyamavva, and later voted at the booth in Ward 31, Government Higher Primary School, with wife Anita. Later, he told the media that he would win the election and initiate programmes which he had planned for the constituency within four months. “Every vote is important to me and I am confident of winning the election,” he added.
The situation was tense at the government school as both brothers -- JD(S) candidate Madhu Bangarappa and his elder brother and BJP MLA Kumar Bangarappa --were to cast their votes at the same polling centre. Kumar had defeated Madhu in the recent assembly elections, which had escalated enmity between the brothers and led to washing of dirty linen in public.
Workers of both parties feared that the brothers may come face to face at the polling station, but Kumar Bangarappa arrived only after Madhu left the booth. He arrived with his family and told the media that the BJP would win Ballari, Shivamogga and Jamakhandi.
“The coalition partners are enemies. Their partnership is only for show. Their caste politics and speeches hurt the people,” he said.
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