36.23 pc turnout till 1 pm in Karnataka

After a slow start, polling has picked up in 14 constituencies of Karnataka with an estimated turnout of 36.23 per cent by 1 pm.

The three constituencies in Bengaluru city lagged behind their rural counterparts in terms of votes polled, with only Bangalore constituency recording a turnout of more than 30 per cent by 1 pm.

According to Election Commission, the coastal constituencies of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi-Chikmagaluru had the highest turnout, followed by Hassan. While 48.84 per cent of the voters had exercised their franchise in Dakshina Kannada, 45.43 per cent voted in Udupi-Chikmagaluru and 43.49 per cent in Hassan.

Bangalore South, which had attracted national attention, had the highest voting percentage till noon among the constituencies in Bangalore city with 30.7 per cent, followed by Bangalore North with 29.69 per cent. Apart from Bangalore North, Bangalore Central - 28.65 per cent voting - was the only constituency yet to surpass 30 per cent voting as of 1 pm.