Karnataka bypolls voting Highlights: Average 67% voter turnout recorded

The ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition in Karnataka faces a litmus test as three Lok Sabha and two assembly constituencies went to bypolls on Saturday, the outcome of which is expected to have a bearing on the state’s political scene.The bypolls are for three Lok Sabha seats, Ballari, Shivamogga and Mandya, and for the Ramanagara and Jamkhandi assembly segments.In a major embarrassment for the BJP, two days before the bypoll, its Ramanagara candidate against chief minister HD Kumaraswamy’s wife quit the contest on Thursday and returned to the Congress.Here are the updates:

8:40 pm IST

Average 67 % voter turnout recorded

The Lok Sabha constituencies of Shivamogga, Ballari and Mandya recorded 61.05, 63.85 and 53.93 per cent voting respectively.

Ramanagara and Jamkhandi assembly segments reported 73.71 and 81.58 per cent voter turnout respectively.

6:00pm IST

Voting % till 5 pm

Shimoga: 55.16%

Bellary: 57.65%

Mandya: 48.83%

Ramanagar: 67.22%

Jamkhandi: 74.41%

4:50pm IST

Villagers boycott bypoll in Ballari’s Haraginadoni

Protests marred voting at Haraginadoni village in Ballari as women staged a demonstration holding empty pots and boycotted the Lok Sabha by-elections, reports PTI.

The villagers were protesting the lack of water supply in their village.

3:44pm IST

Voting turnout till 3 pm

42.63% voter turnout till 3 pm:

Bellary: 35.72%

Shimoga: 41.49%

Mandya: 37.7%

Jamkhandi: 43.5%

Ramnagar: 54.76%.

3:10pm IST

Sriramulu casts his vote

BJP MLA B Sriramulu casts his vote at polling station no. 52 in Bellary city.

2:18pm IST

Polling percentage till 1pm

35.20% polling recorded till 1pm:

Shivamogga: 30.2%

Ballari: 35.72%

Mandya: 26.8%

Ramanagara: 39.81%

Jamakhandi: 43.5%

1:00pm IST

The Vokkaliga factor

The Congress and JD(S) have had to troubleshoot often during the campaigning, especially in the Vokkaliga dominated areas of southern Karnataka, as party workers have failed to cooperate despite requests from the top leadership.

12:46pm IST

Personal jibes during campaign

Campaigning for the elections have seen leaders resort to personal jibes against each other, most notably with mining baron G Janardhan Reddy claiming that former chief minister Siddaramaiah’s son passed away in 2015 as divine punishment for the latter separating Reddy from his children by jailing him.

12:38pm IST

Ramanagara bypoll

The Ramanagara constituency fell vacant after chief minister HD Kumaraswamy took oath as the legislator of Channapatna, the second seat he contested.

12:36pm IST

Muralidhar Rao urges people to vote

 

12:34pm IST

How the bypolls were necessitated

By-elections to the three Lok Sabha constituencies of Bellari, Mandya and Shivamogga were necessitated after B Sreeramulu and BS Yeddyurappa of the BJP, and CS Puttaraju of JD(S) took oath as MLAs after the May assembly polls.

12:30pm IST

5.45 million voters to choose from among 31 candidates

Around 5.45 million voters will exercise their franchise and choose between 31 candidates across the five constituencies, according to Election Commission data.

12:26pm IST

Vote count on Nov 6

Votes cast during the bypolls on all five seats will be counted on November 6.

12:24pm IST

LR Shivarama Gowda versus Siddaramaiah in Mandya

In the Mandya Lok Sabha bypoll, the JD(S) has fielded LR Shivarama Gowda against Siddaramaiah of the BJP as its lawmaker S Puttaraju resigned after he was elected to the assembly from Melukote in Mandya district in old Mysuru region.

12:20pm IST

Battle of nerves in Bellary

With B Shanta’s brother B Sriramulu resigning after getting elected to the assembly from Molakalmuru (ST) in Chitradurga district, the contest in the reserved Bellary seat has turned into a battle of nerves between the BJP and Congress, which fielded its MLC VS Ugrappa as he too belongs to the Valmiki tribal community.

12:18pm IST

BJP has high stakes in Bellary

In the Bellary (Scheduled Tribes) seat, the BJP has pulled all stops to ensure the victory of its woman candidate B Shanta, who represented the constituency in the 2009-14 term.

12:13pm IST

Polling percentage at 11am

Polling percentage at 11am:

Shivamogga: 17.37%

Ballari : 24.58%

Mandya: 13.36%

Ramanagara: 21.51%

Jamakhandi: 22.3%

12:12pm IST

Former CMs’ sons try their luck

Madhu Bangarappa is the younger son of former Congress chief minister S Bangarappa (1991-93), while Mahima Patel is the son of former JD(U) chief minister JH Patel,

12:10pm IST

Three-cornered contest in Shimoga

JD(S) has fielded Madhu Bangarappa with Congress support, and Janata Dal (United) has fielded Mahima Patel against BY Raghavendra from Shimoga.

12:06pm IST

JD(S) candidate from Shimoga casts vote

12:04pm IST

JD(S) supporting Cong candidate in Jamkhandi

For the Jamkhandi assembly seat, the JD(S) is supporting Congress candidate Anand Siddu, son of its senior leader Siddu Nyamagouda, whose sudden death in a road mishap on May 28 necessitated the by-election. The BJP has fielded Srikant Kulkarni against Siddu.

10:26am IST

Jamkhandi Congress candidate casts vote

10:15am IST

Voting turnout till 9 am

Parliamentary constituencies Bellary recorded 4.40% voting turnout till 9am, Shimoga 7.16% and Mandya 4.18%. Legislative assembly constituencies Jamkhandi recorded 9% voting and Ramnagar 7.34%.

9:53am IST

Snake in polling booth

Voting delayed in booth 179 in Mottedoddi of Ramanagaram after a snake was spotted inside the polling booth. Polling resumed after the snake was removed.

9:47am IST

More visuals from Karnataka bypolls

9:00am IST

Jamkhandi BJP candidate casts vote

BJP candidate Srikant Kulkarni casts his vote at booth no. 150 in Hirepadasalgi village of Jamkhandi.

8:42pm IST

Contest between our organisation and their money power, says BJP’s Raghavendra

This is a contest between our organisation and their money power. They have used all government power but our workers are making all out efforts. I am confident of winning in all 2,000 booths in Shivamogga constituency: BJP candidate BY Raghavendra.

8:06am IST

Yeddyurappa, son cast vote

Former chief minister and BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa casts vote in Shikaripura along with son BY Raghavendra, who is the party’s candidate from Shimoga.

7:36am IST

BJP will get absolute majority in all seats: Yeddyurappa

101% my son (BS Raghavendra) is going to win Shimoga seat. We are also going to win Bellary and Jamkhandi. We will get absolute majority in all the constituencies: Former Karnataka CM and state BJP president BS Yeddyurappa.

7:28am IST

Yeddyurappa, son Raghavendra visit Hucharaya Swamy Temple in Shimoga

7:02am IST

Voting begins

6:58 am IST

In Ballari, Congress and BJP fight a prestige battle via proxies

The by-election to the Ballari Lok Sabha seat has seen a pitched battle with both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the ruling Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) alliance going all out to capture the seat. Read full story