Karnataka Council polls: Voting concludes peacefully for four seats

Brisk voting was recorded in the four Legislative Council constituencies where polling was held on Monday.

Of the four, highest polling was recorded in the West Teachers’ Constituency (WTC), where 84% of the electorate exercised their franchise. Voting in North West Teachers’ Constituency (NWTC) was 80%.

In the two graduates’ constituencies - North West Graduates’ (NWGC) and South Graduates’ (SGC) 59% and 70% polling were recorded, respectively.

This is the tentative poll turnout figure at 5 pm, at the time of closure of the poll as reported by the concerned returning officers, the office of the chief electoral officer said in a statement.

“The polling process concluded peacefully in all the polling stations,” it said. Counting of votes will be taken up on June 15.

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190 polling stations

The NWTC and NWGC had 190 polling stations in Belagavi, Bagalkot and Vijayapura districts. The constituency is witnessing a triangular contest among BJP’s Arun Shahapur, Congress’ Prakash Hukkeri and Independent N B Bannur. There are 12 candidates in the fray. There is a direct fight between BJP’s Hanumant Nirani and Congress’ Sunil Sank in the NWGC. There are 11 candidates in the fray.

The SGC comprising Mysuru, Mandya, Hassan and Chamarajanagar districts recorded 70.06% turnout, the highest compared to all previous polls. Mysuru recorded 67.92% voting, Mandya 69.88%, Hassan 74.22% and Chamarajanagar 73.21%.

About 19 candidates, including Congress’ Madhu G Madegowda, BJP’s M V Ravishankar and JD(S) candidate H K Ramu are in the fray. There were 150 polling booths, of which 68 were sensitive and 17 hyper-sensitive.

Poll officers replaced

Seven candidates are in fray for the WTC, including BJP’s Basavaraj Horatti, Congress’ Basavaraj Gurikar and JD(S) nominee Shrishail Gadadinni.

A polling officer and an assisting polling officer were replaced after the allegations that they were influencing voters at polling booth-26 in Hubballi. Rival’s condemned BJP nominee’s Basavaraj Horatti’s presence at the premises, while his son Vasanth Horatti and his supporters had arguments with the election staff.

Shashidhar Gaji, a teacher, had a badge containing Horatti’s photograph. The “We will lodge a complaint with the election commission about this,” Gurikar said.

“Basavaraj Horatti has been misusing power. Teachers on staff were used for the campaign,” Gadadinni, alleged.

“I will win by a margin of 70% votes,” Horatti expressed confidence.

Covid-19 norms were followed at the polling stations. Voters were let inside after they were screened for temperature. Masks were distributed to those who did not have them. The voters had to use hand sanitiser at the entrance before entering.

DC helps voters

Belagavi DC Nitesh Patil shifted a desk to facilitate elderly voters take a rest at a booth at Visvesvaraya Nagar. Helped by a policeman, the DC shifted the desk and placed it beneath a tree as some elderly voters were standing under the scorching Sun.