As in the first phase of the elections, when about 80 per cent of the electorate cast its franchise, voters in the districts maintained their enthusiasm to come out in large numbers to elect their candidates for the panchayats. Wednesday’s elections decided the fate of over 1.15 lakh candidates, vying for seats across 2,833 gram panchayats. Of these, 3,938 candidates have been already declared elected unopposed. Counting of votes will be taken up simultaneously across the state at taluk headquarters on May 17.
Hassan and Belgaum recorded the highest voters turnout, both recording 80 per cent polling. The lowest turnout was witnessed in Uttara Kannada, Mysore and Kundapur taluk of Udupi (65 per cent each). State Election Commission (SEC) Secretary D K Ravindranath said the poll percentage was likely to increase when the final tally is compiled on Thursday.
