Karnataka Election 2023 Highlights: Cong will win over 146 seats, says DK Shivakumar

A clash has broken out between the BJP and the Congress workers at Karnataka’s Chitradurga on Wednesday morning. Both the workers of the Congress and the BJP were seen hurling abuses at each other and disrupting the traffic on polling day. Read more

Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai along with family votes in Shiggon constituency.

Polling stopped in Booth #178 Chamnur village as the Presiding Officer is prompting/influencing people to vote for BJP, tweets Chittapur MLA Priyank Kharge.

BJP Karnataka president Nalin Kumar Kateel arrives at a polling booth in Mangaluru to cast his vote.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, former chief minister B S Yediyurappa, IT industry veteran N R Narayana Murthy along with wife Sudha Murty, and Mysuru royal family member 'Rajamate' Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, were among the early voters who cast their ballot in the Karnataka Assembly polls.

EVM malfunctions at booth number 30 in Yadgir constituency. Voting yet to begin, Hindustan Times reports. 

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday appealed to people to come out and vote for the "development of the state".

"I am very happy with the way our party conducted the campaign and the way people have reacted. I appeal to people to come and vote for the development of Karnataka," Basavaraj Bommai said.

BJP leader BY Vijayendra said, “This is my first election and I am happy that the party gave me the opportunity to contest. I'm blessed to contest from the Shikaripura seat. People are fed up with hung assembly and I am confident that BJP will get majority.”

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the people of Karnataka have decided to choose a progressive, transparent and welfare-oriented government.

"People of Karnataka have decided that they shall choose a progressive, transparent & welfare-oriented government," Mallikarjun Kharge said in a tweet.

PM Modi urged the people of Karnataka to vote in large numbers and enrich the festival of democracy.

PM Modi tweeted, "Urging the people of Karnataka, particularly young and first time voters to vote in large numbers and enrich the festival of democracy."

Union Home Minister Amit Shah urged people in Karnataka to come out in large numbers to vote for "good governance, development and prosperity in the state".

"On voting day, I urge our sisters and brothers of Karnataka to come out in large numbers to vote for good governance, development and prosperity in the state. Your one vote can ensure a pro-people and pro-progress govt that will continue to take the state to newer heights," Amit Shah tweeted.

The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) are some of the promises assured by the BJP in its manifesto. Congress in its manifesto promised to bring back the Muslim quota, higher reservations for various classes, cash handouts and freebies.

Some of the key constituencies are Varuna, Kanakapura, Shiggaon, Hubli-Darwad, Channapatna, Shikaripura, Chittapur, Ramanagara, and Chikmagalur.

CEC Rajiv Kumar said "CEO and DEOs have been instructed to provide all facilitation will be provided across more than 58k polling booths set up across 224 ACs. Specifically, 996 Women Managed Booths, 239 Booths were managed by Persons with Disabilities, 286 were managed by youths, and 737 theme-based and ethnic Polling stations."

The counting of votes will take place on Saturday. The majority mark in the 224-member assembly is 113.

BJP chief JP Nadda held 10 public meetings and 16 roadshows.

Amit Shah held 16 public rallies and 14 roadshows in Karnataka.

The Lingayat and Vokkaliga voters will play a major factor in the elections in the state. Lingayats comprise 17% of the state's population and Vokkaligas 11%.

PM Modi held 19 public meetings and six roadshows while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi camped in the state for 12 days.

84,119 state police officers and 58,500 CAPF police in 650 CoYs are on Law and Order and security duty on poll day across the state.