Karnataka MLC polls: Vote counting for teachers, graduates constituencies under way

Counting of votes for the election to the Legislative Council for teachers' and graduates' constituency was under way across several Karnataka districts on Wednesday.

Belagavi

Counting of votes for the election to the Legislative Council from North-West teachers' constituency, North-West graduates' constituency and Karnataka West teachers' constituency began in the premises of Jyoti College in Belagavi.

Strong rooms were opened in the presence of Regional Commissioner and Returning Officer Amlan Aditya Biswas. Counting of postal ballots was first taken up. It was followed by the opening of ballot boxes and ballot papers being bundled in packs to facilitate counting.

Counting agents of candidates were allowed inside the premises after completion of frisking at the entrance. Elaborate police security arrangements were made outside and inside the counting centre.

In North-West teachers' constituency, 12 candidates are in the fray including Arun Shahapur of BJP, Prakash Hukkeri of Congress and independent N B Bannur. North-west teachers' constituency has 11 candidates including Hanumant Nirani of BJP and Sunil Sank of Congress. Karnataka West graduates' constituency has seven candidates in fray including Basavaraj Horatti of BJP, Basavaraj Gurikar of Congress and Shrishail Gadadinni of Janata Dal (Secular).

Record polling being witnessed in all the three constituencies is expected to prolong the counting and first-round leads are expected from noon onwards.

Mysuru

The counting of the votes polled for the South graduates' constituency was under way at the Maharani' Commerce and Management College in the city.

Congress candidate G Madhu Madegowda maintained lead in the first round of counting. BJP's M V Ravishankar is in the second place while JD(s) candidate is in the third place.

The ballot boxes of all the 150 polling centres across the constituency, comprising Mysuru, Mandya, Hassan and Chamarajanagar district, were stored in the strong room in the college following the elections on June 13.

A total of 19 candidates contested the polls.

Horatti leads by 3,048 votes

Former chairman of Legislative Council and BJP nominee Basavaraj Horatti was leading by 3,048 votes after the first round of counting ended. It is for the eighth time, Horatti is contesting from Karnataka West Teachers constituency. He has won all the last seven elections.

Congress candidate Basavaraj Gurikar was trailing JD(S) candidate SN Gidadinni is in distant third place. The constituency is heading for a straight fight between BJP and Congress. Horatti is confident of securing 70% votes this election.

2 excess votes in West teachers' constituency

Two excess votes were found in the ballot boxes of Karnataka West teachers' constituency during the counting of votes on Wednesday which came in as surprise for the election authorities.

Karnataka West teachers' constituency comprises the districts of Dharwad, Uttar Kannada, Gadag and Haveri. Polling to the Legislative Council was held across 77 polling stations on June 13. A total of 15,577 votes had been cast, but the ballot boxes contained 15,579 votes. The difference was found in the polling booth in the premises of Rotary School at Hubballi polling station wherein 757 votes were polled. The ballot box, however, contained 759 votes while bundles of 25 ballots were being made.

Counting was held four times, but the difference of two votes remained.

Counting agent without pass ousted

An election counting agent for Hanumant Nirani, the BJP candidate to the Legislative Council election from North West graduates' constituency, who had entered the counting station without valid pass, was taken to task by the Assistant Returning Officer Nitesh Patil and sent out of the counting station.

The counting agent, Suresh, managed to sneak inside and agents of other candidates complained to the Returning Officer Amlan Aditya Biswas. Patil rushed to the counting room and ousted the agent.