<div>Moderate voter turnout of about 30 per cent was reported till 1 pm in the by-polls to three Assembly constituencies in Karnataka today, where the ruling Congress and BJP are locked in a prestigious tussle.<div><br /></div><div>Officials said about 30 per cent voting was reported from Chikkodi-Sadalga and Shikaripura and 38 per cent in Bellary Rural, with the polling process being peaceful. The three constituencies have a total electorate of over 5.57 lakh.</div><div><br /></div><div>Today's elections are a litmus test for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and BJP national Vice-President and former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa as this is the first electoral showdown after the recent Lok Sabha polls.<br /><br /></div><div>After its humiliating defeat in the 2013 Assembly polls that saw exit of BJP's first-ever government in the South, it staged a comeback in Lok Sabha polls, winning 17 of the 28 seats, leaving only nine to Congress and two to JDS.<br /><br /></div><div>The Congress has gone all out not only to retain Chikkodi-Sadalga but also wrest from the BJP Bellary Rural and Shikaripura seat, where Yeddyurappa's son B Y Raghavendra is a candidate.<br /><br /></div><div>Yeddyurappa had vacated the Shikaripura seat after his election to the Lok Sabha from Shimoga, which Raghavendra had earlier represented.<br /><br /></div><div>JDS, dogged by rumblings of discontent within over the leadership of its supremo Gowda and his son and former Chief Minster H D Kumaraswamy, has not fielded any candidates.</div><div>Twenty two candidates are in the fray. Counting of votes will take place on August 25.</div></div>
<div>Moderate voter turnout of about 30 per cent was reported till 1 pm in the by-polls to three Assembly constituencies in Karnataka today, where the ruling Congress and BJP are locked in a prestigious tussle.<div><br /></div><div>Officials said about 30 per cent voting was reported from Chikkodi-Sadalga and Shikaripura and 38 per cent in Bellary Rural, with the polling process being peaceful. The three constituencies have a total electorate of over 5.57 lakh.</div><div><br /></div><div>Today's elections are a litmus test for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and BJP national Vice-President and former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa as this is the first electoral showdown after the recent Lok Sabha polls.<br /><br /></div><div>After its humiliating defeat in the 2013 Assembly polls that saw exit of BJP's first-ever government in the South, it staged a comeback in Lok Sabha polls, winning 17 of the 28 seats, leaving only nine to Congress and two to JDS.<br /><br /></div><div>The Congress has gone all out not only to retain Chikkodi-Sadalga but also wrest from the BJP Bellary Rural and Shikaripura seat, where Yeddyurappa's son B Y Raghavendra is a candidate.<br /><br /></div><div>Yeddyurappa had vacated the Shikaripura seat after his election to the Lok Sabha from Shimoga, which Raghavendra had earlier represented.<br /><br /></div><div>JDS, dogged by rumblings of discontent within over the leadership of its supremo Gowda and his son and former Chief Minster H D Kumaraswamy, has not fielded any candidates.</div><div>Twenty two candidates are in the fray. Counting of votes will take place on August 25.</div></div>