Karnataka Lok Sabha Elections 2019 Voting Highlights: Voter turnout poor in Bangalore when compared to other parts of the state. The estimate voter turnout in Bangalore North is 48.28 %, Bangalore Central 42.43 %, Bangalore South 49.36 % and Bangalore rural 59.43 %. An average of 61.94% voters turned up in 14 Lok Sabha constituencies of Karnataka to pick an MP on April 18.
Read more: Highlights from polling day for Northern Karnataka LS constituencies (April 23)
While Dakshina Kannada tops the chart with the highest voter turnout (72.97%), constituencies in and around Bangalore showed poor figures as usual.
Read more: Bangalore’s first-time voters come in many hues after Lok Sabha elections 2019 conclude
The voting in Bangalore started at 7 am and will end at 6 pm. The election will be held in 8,514 booths across the city. While 2,656 of them are in Bangalore North, there are 2,082 polling booths in Bangalore Central. The same is 2,131 in Bangalore South, while 1,269 and 376 polling booths are there in Bangalore Rural and Chikkaballapur LS constituencies respectively.
As many as 90,997 police personnel will be deployed across the state at all polling booths. The police department has identified 11,992 booths as critical in the state and has deployed extra security forces for these booths.
Read more: Lok Sabha Polls 2019: Poor voter turnout in Bengaluru
Bengaluru is infamous for its poor voter turnout during elections, despite the election commission conducting various awareness campaigns to bring the voters to the polling booth. In the 2018 assembly election, only 54.76% of people from the city voted.
An average of 61.94% voters turned up in 14 Lok Sabha constituencies of Karnataka to pick an MP on April 18.
While Dakshina Kannada tops the chart with the highest voter turnout (72.97%), constituencies in and around Bangalore showed poor figures as usual. Here are the estimates:
Bangalore Rural - 59.43%
Bangalore North - 48.28%
Bangalore Central - 42.43%
Bangalore South -49.36%
Chikkballapur - 69.33%
Udupi-Chikmagalur -69.84%
Hassan - 71.20%
Chitradurga - 61.75%
Tumkur - 70.28%
Mandya - 71.75%
Mysore- 63.20%
Chamarajanagar - 66.51%
Kolar - 69.99%
Congress president Rahul Gandhi will address a couple of public meetings in Karnataka tomorrow.
He will fly to Karnataka after a rally held at P.M. Ground, Bajipura in Gujarat.
Karnataka CM H.D. Kumaraswamy takes a dig at PM Modi criticising him of resorting to "propaganda movie and TV channel in his name."
Kumaraswamy's tweet is an instant reply to PM Modi's mockery on him from the latter's Bagalkot rally held a few hours back.
At 5 pm, Tumkur votes most (60.86%) while Bangalore Central trails at 36.96% voter turnout.
Read more: Karnataka Polls: Deva Gowda on a strong wicket in Tumkuru
LIVE polling trends at other constituencies are as follows:
Udupi-Chikmagalur - 60.12%
Hassan - 62.43%
Dakshina Kannada - 60.46%
Chitradurga - 53.78%
Mandya - 55.15%
Mysore- 51.64%
Chamarajanagar - 54.05%
Bangalore Rural - 49.66%
Bangalore North - 39.72%
Bangalore South -40.67%
Chikkballapur - 54.92%
Kolar - 54.44%
According to reports, a pliant filed against BJP's Bangalore South candidate Tejasvi Surya for campaigning on social media when election is underway. Election Commission returning officer has filed the complaint with Siddapura police station in Bangalore South.
At 4 pm, here are the LIVE updates:
Udupi-Chikmagalur - 56.47%
Hassan - 57.34%
Dakshina Kannada - 60.46%
Chitradurga - 49.25%
Tumkur - 54.68%
Mandya - 55.15%
Mysore- 50.43%
Chamarajanagar - 51.43%
Bangalore Rural - 48.39%
Bangalore North - 39.07%
Bangalore Central - 36.96%
Bangalore South -40.14%
Chikkballapur - 54.92%
Kolar - 52.78%
Prime Minister Narendra Modi calls Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy 'weak CM' in a public meeting at Bagalkot, North Karnataka.
"The weak CM is crying and ministers are involved in corruption. They know their days are numbered and therefore, they have started looting the state," he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is addressing a campaign in Bagalkot, Karnataka. Watch Live here:
Karnataka LIVE polling percentage - Bangalore North records least turnout
Udupi-Chikmagalur - 53.32
Hassan - 52.74%
Dakshina Kannada - 60.02%
Chitradurga - 49.25%
Tumkur - 54.17%
Mandya - 48.16%
Mysore- 48.79%
Chamarajanagar - 44.59%
Bangalore Rural - 33.83%
Bangalore North - 34.20%
Bangalore Central - 28.65%
Bangalore South -33.36%
Chikkballapur - 50.63%
Kolar - 43.53%
Karnataka Minister DK Shivakumar casts his vote at a polling booth in, Kanakapura Taluka.
Voters turnout in the key Lok Sabha constituencies in and around Bangalore:
Bangalore North- 29.69%
Bangalore South- 31.66%
Bangalore Central- 28.65%
Bangalore Rural- 33.83%
Chikabalapur- 37.59%
Members of Bangalore Political Action Committee (B.PAC) civic group in Bangalore distribute saplings to voters who have cast their votes.
"People should get over divisive politics to work towards nation building,” says Imtiaz Baig a Bangalore South voter who travelled from Hyderabad to exercise his right to vote.
BJP leader and former chief minister of Karnataka S M Krishna cast his vote in Bengaluru.
Former Indian cricketer Anil Kumble casts his vote in South Bangalore.
Former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah's latest tweet sparks controversy.
As 21.83% voters chose to exercise their right to vote in Karnataka, here are the numbers from key Lok Sabha constituencies in and around Bangalore:
Bangalore North- 15.33%
Bangalore South- 19.48%
Bangalore Central- 16.00%
Bangalore Rural- 16.24%
Chikabalapur- 19.68%
Independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh votes in Mandya.
She faces tough competition from JD(S) canidadate Nikhil Kumarasamy, son of Karnataka CM H.D. Kumaraswamy.
Read more: Sumalatha to gain from discord among Cong-JD(S) workers in Mandya, says son
Bangalore Central incumbent MP P.C. Mohan has encouraged voters to turn in huge numbers to exercise the right to vote.
Read more: Bangalore Central: Will Congress unseat the BJP?