15 per cent turnout in Karnataka bypoll in five constituencies

Ramanagar, Chennapatna and Chitapur witnessed brisk voting in the morning hours, while it was sedate in Govindarajanagar, where Housing Minister V Somanna is contesting and in Kollegal.Somanna joined BJP after quitting Congress.

Polling has remained incident free, police said.

Priyank, son of Union Minister for Labour and Employment M Mallikarjun Kharge is bidding to retain the Chitapur seat vacated by his father upon his election to Lok Sabha and for his maiden entry into state assembly.

Priya, son of Congress MLA, M Krishnappa, is taking on Somanna in Govindarajanagar.

JDS, which  is indirectly supporting Congress in Govindarajanagar, has concentrated on Chennapatna, where another Congress defector, actor C P Yogeshwar is seeking re-election, besides Ramanagara, a seat vacated by JDS leader H D Kumaraswamy in the wake of his election to Lok Sabha.

Bypolls are being held in Kollegal reserved seat to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation by Dhruvanarayan of Congress after he successfully contested the Chamarajanagar Lok Sabha seat.