Tags:
Journalism of Courage
The urban dwellers of the state on Sunday shrugged off their apathy to vote and came out in large numbers when compared to 2008 Assembly election. But even then their poll percentage was lower than the rural areas. Overall,63.09 per cent of the four crore electorates cast their vote by 5 pm.
According the Chief Electoral Officer of the state,Anil Kumar Jha,the final figure would be around 69 per cent as the voting was extended till 6 pm. This would mean it would be higher than the 2008 poll percentage of 64.68 per cent.
At around 52 per cent,urban Bangalore lagged in voting percentage. However,this was higher when compared to 44 per cent in 2008. The exception to low voting in urban areas was Mysore where 64.11 per cent voted. In 2008,the poll percentage was just 54 per cent.
In Bangalore,many of them didnt find their names in the voters list despite applying for inclusion in the revised lists of the poll panel. Jha said much of the names were deleted prior to the revision of lists and blamed citizens for not availing the opportunities accorded for inclusion prior to the revision early this year.
High voting was recorded from south Karnataka districts where the fight is between JDS and the Congress. The districts include the Vokkaliga belt of Hassan,Ramanagara,Tumkur,Kolar,Bangalore Rural and Mandya. Hassan,home turf of former prime minister and JDS leader
H D Deve Gowda,recorded 71.60 per cent. Ramanagara were H D Kumaraswamy,Gowdas son,holds sway recorded 70.25 per cent.
In the coastal region that includes Mangalore and Udupi,the voter turnout was 67.43 per cent and 63.80 per cent,respectively. In Udupi,the poll figures were lower than in 2008. Here fight is between the BJP and the Congress.
Haveri district,where KJP of B S Yeddyurappa was formed,witnessed a high voting percentage of 70.83 compared to 63 per cent in 2008. Belgaum,Bagalkot and Dharwad in the Mumbai-Karnataka region where the KJP is likely to spoil BJPs chances recorded 67.43 per cent,63.43 per cent and 63 per cent,respectively.
The lowest voter turnout was recorded in the impoverished Hyderabad-Karnataka region that was given a special development status by the UPA government. Bidar recorded 48.50 per cent while Gulbarga recorded 54 per cent. Raichur,a traditionally-low polling area,recorded 56.83 per cent. Bellary recorded a high voter turnout t 64.33 per cent compared to 55 per cent in 2008. Despite rains voters in the Western Ghats districts of Chikamagalur,Kodagu recorded more than 60 per cent polling like in previous years.
