As the second phase of polling begins for the 2019 General elections, 14 constituencies in southern Karnataka will go to the polls on April 18.
Despite the shortage of time and daunting heat, there was an intense campaign, especially in the last fortnight. Raids by Income Tax officials on close associates of candidates of the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) stepped up poll heat and this was demonstrated by protests, including one led by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy outside the I-T office in Bengaluru.
This time around, traditional rivals, the Congress and the JD(S), are fighting together in a general election for the first time, making it a straight fight between the coalition partners and the BJP in majority of the constituencies.
Here are the live updates.
According to Election Commission of India, estimated voter turnout for Karnataka Lok Sabha elections is put at 61.80 per cent till 5 p.m. Fourteen constituencies in southern Karnataka went to polls on April 18.
Voter percentage till 5 p.m.
Udupi Chikmagalur - 69.83
Hassan - 71.20
Dakshina Kannada - 72.97
Chitradurga - 61.75
Tumkur - 70.28
Mandya - 70.23
Mysore - 61.32
Chamarajnagar - 66.51
Bangalore (Rural) - 58.39
Bangalore (North) - 48.19
Bangalore (Central) - 45.34
Bangalore (South) - 49.36
Chikkballapur - 69.33
Kolar - 69.99
This autorickshaw driver gives helping hand to many
Ashok Prabhu, an autorickshaw driver in Ganjimutt coming under Mangaluru North Assembly constituency, has ferried more than elderly women in his neighbourhood to polling stations helping them to cast votes. Mr. Prabhu not only ferried the elderly to the booths, but also carried those who cannot walk till the booth and made them to vote. Among those who got Mr. Prabhu's help included a 102 year old woman.
His cousing brother Shivaraya Prabhu said this is not the first time his brother became a samaritan. "He has the habit of helping the needy," Mr. Shivaraya said.
Performing his duty despite all odds
Neither a critical head surgery last week nor passing away of his wife on Wednesday did deter 90-year-old Damodar Nayak Kallianpur from exercising his franchise in Mangaluru on Thursday.
Mr. Nayak, a resident of Mannagudda and running a spare-parts business along with his son in the Central Market of mangaluru, had undergone the surgery last week to remove an overgrowth. While he was overcoming from the wounds, he had the shock of his life when wife Shantha Nayak (79) passed away on Wednesday.
Yet, on the day of polling, Mr. Nayak decided to perform his duty and encouraged family members and relatives who had come for the last rites of his wife to go to their respective polling booths and cast votes. He too arrived at the designated booth near his residence at Gandhinagar and exercised the franchise.
Mandya MP constituency voting percentage @5
Malavalli- 67.85
Madduru- 75.56
Mandya- 67.74
SR patna- 73
K.R.pet- 71.36
Nagmangala- 72.30
Melukote- 77.91
Kr nagar- 69.67
Total percentage 71.75
Man comes on stretcher, casts his vote in Udupi district
Jayasheela Poojary arrives on a stretchere to cast his vote at Ulthoor in Udupi district on April 18, 2019.
A 30-year-old man came on a stretcher in an ambulance to cast his vote at the government school booth at Ulthoor near Kundapur in Udupi district on Thursday.
Jayasheela Poojary (30) had been injured in his leg in a road accident at Goliyangady village about three weeks back. He was admitted to a private hospital in Kundapur for treatment and had got discharged 10 days back. He was advised rest for three months. Since he was unable to walk, he was taking rest in his house in Ulthoor.
Bangalore techie votes immediately after wife gives birth to child
The early morning birth of his second child and immediate medical concerns of his family did not deter Sandeep Mishra, a Bangalore-based techie, from casting his vote for the Lok Sabha polls in the stSate on Thursday.
Mishra (37), whose wife gave birth to their second son at about 5:45 am at a private hospital, rushed to his polling booth in Horamavu road (Bangalore North constituency) as soon as it opened at 7 am.
“I had ensured that I carry my voter ID card when I rushed to the hospital with my wife and family at about 3 am after she developed labour pain.
“I quickly drove to my polling centre, about 3 km from the hospital, as soon as saw my newborn son,” Mishra said.
The software professional said he was among the first voters at the booth and he cast his vote at about 7:15 am.
“It is my responsibility to ensure that I vote and also look after my family and hence by voting early I will now be able to take care of the new member in the family and my wife easily,” Mishra said.
He added his wife, Sudha, regretted that she will not be able to cast her vote after the birth of their child but she “fully supported” him in ensuring that he exercised his franchise.
Fourteen Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka, including Bangalore North, Bangalore South and Bangalore Rural, are voting on Thursday.
Mandya MP constituency voting percentage @ 3
Malavalli- 51.37
Madduru- 59.63
Mandya- 52.87
SR patna- 54.14
K.R.pet- 55.45
Nagmangal- 56.52
Melukote-59.70
Kr nagar- 52.54
Total percentage- 55.15%
Voter turnout at 49.26 at 3 p.m. (percentage)
Udupi Chikmagalur - 58.44
Hassan - 57.34
Dakshina Kannada - 60.46
Chitradurga - 49.25
Tumkur - 54.68
Mandya - 55.11
Mysore - 50.39
Chamarajnagar - 51.43
Bangalore (Rural) - 44.46
Bangalore (north) - 39.07
Bangalore (central) - 36.96
Bangalore (South) - 40.58
Chikkballapur - 55.23
Kolar - 52.71
Mandya MP constituency voting percentage @1
Malavalli- 34.27
Madduru- 42.49
Mandya- 37.29
SR patna- 37.97
K.R.pet- 36.14
Nagmangala- 38.49
Melukote- 40.51
Kr nagar- 35.08
Total percentage - 37.69%
Former BJP Minister rakes up controversy
Former BJP Minister S.K Bellibbi has raked up a controversy by calling Comgress as "eunuch" and saying that the Congress remained neither male or female for over five decades of rule. He was addressing public gathering at Bagalkot on Thursday. He also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi by calling him an incarnation of God who has come to eliminate sins. He referred Bhagwat Gita saying the Gita says that whenever sin increases on earth the God descends on earth to eliminate sin.
Voter turnout by 1 p.m. (percentage)
Udupi Chikmagalur - 45.43
Hassan - 43.49
Dakshina Kannada - 48.84
Chitradurga - 35.48
Tumkur - 38.58
Mandya - 37.69
Mysore - 35.69
Chamarajnagar - 36.37
Bangalore (Rural) - 32.36
Bangalore (north) - 29.89
Bangalore (Central) - 28.65
Bangalore (South) - 30.70
Chikkballapur - 37.59
Kolar - 38.20
DK LS Constituency, 48.85% as at 1 pm
Polling official dies of a heart attack in Chamarajanagar
A polling official died due to a heart attack while on duty at polling booth number 48 in Chamarajanagar on Thursday.
Officials said the deceased polling official Shantamurthy was the Principal of a college in Hanur.
Voters complain of deletion from list
Many voters are complaining that while they have their epic cards and continue to stay at the same residence, their names have been marked deleted in the voter list. "I voted at the same booth in may 2018 for assembly elections and I continue to stay at the same house. But now my vote is deleted. I don't understand how," said Nirmala S., a voter from Vidyaranyapura.
At a booth in Abbigere, nearly 70 entries were marked deleted leading to voters taking strong objection. "Many votes in my road are marked deleted," said Anthony. Polling officials said they were helpless as they were going by the electoral lists given to them.
Chief Minister Kumaraswamy casts his vote
Heavy rush at toll booths in Tumakuru
Tumakuru voters travelling on top of the buses to cast their votes on Thursday.
Voting has been delayed at five polling booths in Tumakuru district due to technical snags in the EVMs. The booths include no. 21 at Aralimaradapalya, booth 8 at Antharasanahalli, booth 26 at Sharada school in Tumakuru, booth 46 and 47 at Alilughatta in Gubbi taluk and booth 79 in Kunigal of Tumakuru district.
Toll booths on the Tumakuru highway have been reporting huge rush that authorities said is very unusual for a Thursday traffic.
While those heading out on vacation or to their homes after voting were a part of the traffic, a large number were those heading out to Tumakuru and Hassan for voting. At several spots utility vehicles packed with people have been lining up the toll plazas.
Residents in RR Nagar who are part of Bengaluru Rural constituency outside a polling booth stage protest after their names go missing from the electoral rolls.
“A large number of voters from Hassan and Tumakuru who reside in Bengaluru would normally go to their respective places for voting on the polls day. Probably, last evenings rains also increased home returning traffic today,” Chandre Gowda of Tumakuru said.
Acknowledging that the traffic has been quite heavy since morning, a woman employee at the toll plaza said: “Don't you know elections are happening today. People are going to vote. Packed vehicles are going since morning.”
Mandya has only 4.87% polling in first two hours
Mandya Lok Sabha constituency witnessed only 4.87 percent of voting in the first two hours.
Malavalli Assembly constituency witnessed 5.08% voting, Madduru 4.19%, Melukote 7%, Mandya 6.34%, Srirangapatna 3.99%.
Nagmangala saw 2.10% polling, Krishnarajapet 5.15% and Krishnaraja Nagar recorded 5.11% of voting till 9 a.m., sources at the Election Commission said.
Meanwhile, Hassan constituency saw 7% voting till 9 a.m.
Dakshina Kannada sees 14% polling till 9 a.m.
14% polling in Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha constituency till 9 a.m.
Polling resumed in Kattepura in Arakalgud taluk after a reconduct of mock poll. Agent representing the BJP had raised objections over the result in the mock poll.
Nirmala Sitharaman casts her vote
Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman cast her vote in Jayanagar in Bengaluru South Lok Sabha constituency.
Pramod Madhwaraj casts his vote
Pramod Madhwaraj, Congress candidate for Udupi-Chikkamagaluru parliamentary seat, after casting his vote in Udupi on Thursday.
Pramod Madhwaraj, Congress candidate for Udupi-Chikkamagaluru parliamentary constituency, cast his vote at the Narayanaguru School polling booth at Malpe in Udupi on Thursday. He was accompanied by his mother and former Minister, Manorama Madhwaraj, who also cast her vote in the same booth.
Polling delayed in Mangaluru booth due to EVM malfunction
Voting at a booth in Cascia High School in Jeppu here got delayed for about 20 minutes following malfunction of the EVM.
The problem in the EVM was noticed after 43 votes were polled in the morning. Authorities immediately called the service engineer and then replaced the malfunctioning EVM with another EVM that was available.
Polling was at a brisk pace in several booths in Mangaluru. Long queues were seen in many booths including those in Kankanady, Ladyhill and Kottara Chowki areas.
Meanwhile, a technical problem during a mock poll has delayed polling at Kattepura in Arakalgud taluk. The officials and party agents noticed differences in votes polled with respect to parties during the mock poll.
Prajwal Revanna on temple visits before going to vote
A high school student and a volunteer help a senior citizen reach the booth at Paduvalahippe in Holenarsipur taluk.
JD(S) candidate Prajwal Revanna, his father H.D.Revanna are on a visit to temples in Holenarsipur before voting on the day.
At present they are offering prayers at Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple at Holenarsipur. In a few minutes, they will be reaching Paduvalahippe village to vote.
Problem of plenty in Belagavi
Poll officials in Belagavi face a unique problem. They need to find tables that can accommodate four ballot units of the electronic voting machine (EVM) and the voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT).
There are 57 candidates in the fray for the Belagavi Lok Sabha seat. Each ballot unit has slots for 15 names and the None of the Above option and therefore each booth has to have place for one big table or two small tables to hold the five machines. The control unit of the EVM has to be placed near the polling officer’s table and hence the room has to be spacious enough to house all the furniture and equipment.
