World | India
Karnataka votes in final phase
Around 55 per cent of an estimated 11.7 million voters yesterday exercised their franchise in 69 constituencies in eight Karnataka districts in the third and final phase of elections to the 224-member state assembly.
- IANS
- Published: 00:19 May 23, 2008
Bangalore: Around 55 per cent of an estimated 11.7 million voters yesterday exercised their franchise in 69 constituencies in eight Karnataka districts in the third and final phase of elections to the 224-member state assembly.
Balloting in 12,389 polling booths in the districts of Bagalkot, Belgaum, Bidar, Bijapur, Dharwad, Gadag, Gulbarga and Haveri was peaceful, police and election officials said as the voting came to an end in the evening.
Nearly 56,000 security personnel had been deployed to ensure smooth polling. The first two phases of polling took place on May 10 and May 16 in the Old Mysore region, and in the coastal and central regions respectively. Counting of votes for all 224 seats is slated for Sunday.
A majority in the last phase of polling is critical for the Congress as well as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) if they are to secure a clear mandate to rule the state, which saw the fall of three coalitions in less than four years after a split verdict in 2004.
Prominent among the candidates in the fray yesterday were state Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former Congress chief minister N. Dharam Singh and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) state president Merajuddin Patel. Dharam Singh and Kharge will set a record if they are elected because it will be the ninth win in a row for the both leaders. Singh is seeking re-election from Jewargi. Kharge had to shift from his home seat Gurmitkal as it has been de-reserved and made a general constituency. He is contesting from nearby Chittapur.
Vigorous campaigning
Campaigning for the third phase was far more intense than in the first two phases. BJP leader L.K. Advani toured the area for two days at a stretch and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi spent four days trying to sway the electorate. Spearheading the Congress campaign were party president Sonia Gandhi and general secretary Rahul Gandhi.
JD-S president and former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda, his son and former Karnataka chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Bahujan Samajwadi Party chief and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati also hit the campaign trail for their respective candidates.
Like in the second phase, the main battle in the last round too is between the Congress and the BJP. The Congress dominance was ended by the BJP in 2004 when it won 31 seats from the region to emerge as the single largest group in the house with 79 seats.
The Congress bagged 17 and the JD-S was a surprise victor in 13 seats. The remaining seats went to independents.
The BJP is perceived to have further strengthened its hold on the region thanks to the sizeable Lingayat community, a politically influential segment apparently upset with the Congress for allegedly neglecting its interests.
The JD-S is also expected by observers to take a hit in the region for pulling down the first BJP chief minister in the state, B.S. Yediuyurappa, in November, just a week after he was sworn in.
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