60 per cent voter turnout recorded till 5.24 pm

An estimated 60 per cent of the total 37.78 lakh electors have cast their vote until 5:24 pm on Thursday in 15 assembly constituencies, the results of which would determine the longevity of the B S Yediyurappa-led BJP government in Karnataka.

According to voter turnout figures available, the highest turnout of 79.8 per cent was recorded in Chikkaballapura, and the lowest at K R Puram in Bengaluru at 37.5 per cent. The other two constituencies in Bengaluru too have recorded comparatively lower turnout, Mahalakshi layout- 40.47 per cent, Shivajinagar- 41.13, officials said.

Turnout in other constituencies are: Athani - 70.73 per cent, Kagwad - 69.76, Gokak- 66.64, Yellapur- 72.23, Hirekerur- 72.42, Ranebennur- 67.92, Vijayanagara- 58.93, Yeshwanthpura- 48.34, Hoskote- 76.19, K R Pete- 75.87, and Hunsur- 74.47, they said.

The by-elections are being held to fill the vacancies caused by the disqualification of 17 rebel Congress and JD(S) MLAs, whose rebellion led to the collapse of the H D Kumaraswamy-led Congress-JDS coalition government in July and paved the way for the BJP to come to power.

The ruling BJP needs to win at least six of the 15 seats to remain in the majority in the 225-member assembly (including the Speaker, who has a casting vote), which would still have two vacant seats -- Maski and R R Nagar. While the BJP feels that the people of the constituencies will vote in favour of the party for stability and development, the Congress and JD(S) are optimistic that the voters will back them to defeat the defectors, who have been disqualified.

While there was a direct contest between the Congress and the BJP in most constituencies, in the southern parts of the state the JD(S) comes into the picture, making it a triangular fight. In Hoskote, however, independent candidate Sharath Bachegowda is a key factor. The BJP has fielded 13 of the 16 disqualified legislators, who joined the party, as its candidates from their respective segments from where they had won in the 2018 assembly elections on the Congress and the JDS' tickets.

Speculation is rife about the Congress and the JD(S) not being averse to joining hands once again to form a coalition government in case the BJP fails to garner the required number of seats to stay in majority. Among 15 constituencies going to the bypolls, 12 were held by the Congress and three by JD(S). Bypolls have been by and large peaceful, barring some stray incidents of arguments between workers of political parties and also with police at some places, like Hunsur.

There were reports of EVMs malfunctioning due to technical problems in some places like Singayyanapalya in K R Puram and at Athani, but they have been set right and voting was underway, officials said. Senior citizens and differently-abled citizens coming out to exercise their franchise in good numbers is among the highlights of the bypolls. A total number of 165 candidates -- 156 men and nine women -- are in the fray for the bypolls.