Karnataka bypoll records 56.37% voter turnout

The byelection to Belgaum Lok Sabha seat, Maski and Basavakalyan Assembly seats recorded an overall voter turnout of 56.37% on Saturday, according to the Election Commission.

Chief Electoral Officer Sanjiv Kumar, in a statement, said the voter turnout was “moderate” and thanked citizens who used their franchise. This included more than 5,700 absentee voters either Covid-19 positive or suspected to be infected who used postal ballots.

The voter turnout was the highest at Maski, an ST reserved constituency, at 70.48%, followed by Basavakalyan (59.57%) and Belgaum (54.35%).

Kumar also thanked the police for the "systematic and efficient deployment of personnel to conduct a peaceful poll."

Polling began with strict adherence to Covid-19 protocols in all three constituencies at 7 am. A total of 30 candidates were in the fray from all three constituencies. Belgaum has ten candidates, Basavakalyan and Maski have 12 and eight candidates in the fray respectively.

The counting of votes will take place on May 2.

The ruling BJP and opposition Congress are battling it out in all three constituencies, while JD(S) has limited itself to Basavakalyan, as the regional party has not fielded any candidates in Maski and Belgaum.

The outcome of the bypolls is politically significant as a clean sweep for the BJP will help Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa shoot back at his detractors. A victory for the D K Shivakumar-led Congress will boost the morale of the party that has already set its sight on the 2023 assembly election.