Karnataka Assembly Election 2018 LIVE updates: Voting comes to an end; all eyes on exit poll

Karnataka election is dubbed by many analysts as the semi-final ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Till 3 pm 52.40 per cent voter turnout was recorded across the state. The voting will go on until 6 pm. Some EVM malfunctioning has been reported from Udupi, Shivajinagar and a few other areas. In Hebbal, Bangalore, Bharatiya Janata Party workers disrupted voting fighting to vote first. In many places across the state, voters are getting incentives. For instance, according to a 101 Reporters’ report, the Indian Oil is offering Re 1 discount per litre petrol to all those who exercised their franchise in Belagavi. While the regular price is Rs 75.86, on Saturday voters can fuel at 74.86.

Here are the live updates of Karnataka Election 2018:

5.45 pm: Re-poll ordered in 158 Hebbal A.C.PS no 2 Gandhi Vidyalaya Kannada and Tamil Primary School as polling was stopped due to EVM failure.

The re-election is likely to take place on Monday.

5.35 pm: A fake news was being circulated on Whatsapp that suggested voting time has been extended till 6.30 pm. The deputy commissioners of various districts like Ballari and Dharwad clarified that there was no truth in that news. “Despite rumours, EC insists that polling will be held till 6pm. There have been no extension to poll timings,” The News Minute reported.

5.30 pm: Polling was interrupted for 20 minutes in Kittanur in Mahadevapura after a snake was found close to the polling booth, The Hindu reported.

4.55 pm:

4.40 pm: The sitting JD(S) legislator who was denied ticket and contested as independent at Sidlaghatta in Chikballapur got admitted to a local hospital today. He complained of chest pain couple of hours after polling began this morning. Although he is in ICU, the doctor attending him says he is out of danger.

Team 101 Reporters

4.25 pm: Heavy rain in parts of Hubli affecting voter turnout. Voters take shelter at Polling Station 185, ANI reported.

4.24 pm: Thunderstorm about to start in Dharwad. Polling booths are preparing to wind up. Team 101 Reporters

4.20 pm: In Kalaburgi, scorching heat (43-degree Celsius temperature) affects voter turn out. Locals told ANI, “There was a rush at the booths in the morning, but now there is hardly any crowd at the booths as the temperature is quite high. Right now, it is more than 40 degrees.”

4.00 pm: Majority of the 3500 residents of Chittapur taluk’s Tarkaspet village in Kalburagi district are boycotting Karnataka elections over their demand for Gram Panchayat headquarters for their village, ANI reported.

 

3.45 pm: Former Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Menon Roy posted a tweet.

3.35 pm: BJP leader B Sreeramulu on Saturday worshipped a cow and then visited temples before voting in the Karnataka Assembly election.

Sreeramulu is contesting from two seats — Badami in Bagalkot and Molakalamuru (reserved) in Chitradurga district.

3.20 pm: According to ECI, 52.40 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 3 pm.

3.10 pm: Karnataka Minister DK Shivakumar posted a tweet appealing to voters to vote for “inclusive Karnataka”.

 

3.00 pm: “This Amit Shah is like a comedy show and Narendra Modi’s image has drastically declined, his speeches are completely hollow and have made no impact on the voters of Karnataka. Therefore we are not worried,” Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told ANI.

2.52 pm: Former Foreign minister and BJP leader SM Krishna casts his vote in a polling booth in Bengaluru.

2.45 pm: Some voters are praising the police too.

2.40 pm: Cricketer Rahul Dravid, the state election icon, another cricketer Anil Kumble, film actors Ramesh Arvind, Ravichandran and scion of Mysuru royal family Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar were among the early voters, PTI reported.

Image: Election Commission of India

2.35 pm: Percentage of voting in Mysuru till 1 pm:

Periyapatna – 46.30%

KR Nagara.   – 40.38%

Hunsuru       – 36.61%

HD kote     – 37.23%

Nanjangudu – 51.51%

Chamundeshwari – 39.30%

Krishnaraja.         – 33.77%

Chamaraja.           – 33.50%

Narasimharaja   – 22.72%

Varuna.                 – 42.49

Narasipura.     – 39.43%

Total Average – 38.47%

Input by: Shivranjini S/101Reporters

2.30 pm: Percentages of voting in Bidar till 1 pm:

Bidar North 30.09%

Bidar South 32.01%

Humnabad 32.45%

Bhalki 30%

Aurad 34%

Basavakalyan 37%

Input by: Lakshmi Bavge/101Reporters

2.15 pm:

2.10 pm: Polling underway in Basavana Bagewadi in Bijapur.

Tamanna Naseer

2.05 pm: 37 per cent voter turnout recorded till 1 pm, said ECI.

2 pm: Huge rush in the polling booth at Garage in Dharwad district. Manju Somareddi/101Reporters

Manju Somareddi/101Reporters

1.50 pm: “JD(S) has distributed a lot of money, their candidate says he is a society secretary, so from where did he get so much money? Also, BJP is openly supporting JD(S), they have put up a dummy candidate here,” said Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Chamundeshwari constituency.

1.45 pm: From ‘Pink Booths’ managed by women to the use of third-generation Electronic Voting Machines, the assembly elections in Karnataka are marked by several firsts. The Election Commission has come up with the ‘M3 EVMs’ that are reportedly “tamper proof” and switch off when attempts are made to meddle with it. The machines are being used in five constituencies in Bengaluru– Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Shivajinagar, Shanthinagar, Gandhi Nagar and Rajaji Nagar (where the elections have been deferred) in Bengaluru. Also, 450 “pink booths” called ‘Sakhi’ have been set up. They are entirely managed by women, right from the returning officer to the security personnel, the sources said. The EC has also set up ethnic polling booths in Mysuru, Chamarajnagar and Uttar Kannada districts where polling booths match the lifestyle of tribal masses living there.

Image: Tamanna Naseer

1.40 pm:

1.36 pm: “We appeal to people to exercise their voting rights & choose a govt of clean image. We are hopeful that public will take a huge decision today to change the politics of the nation, will reject national parties BJP & Congress, and instead vote for JD(S)-BSP alliance,” JD(S) leader Danish Ali told ANI.

 

1.32 pm: Very bad news for BJP 

1.30 pm: Karnataka Minister DK Shivakumar stands in a queue to cast his vote at polling booth number 240 in Kanakapura, Bengaluru.

1.26 pm: Voting till 1 pm in percentage:

 

Hangal 43%

Shiggaon 44%

Haveri 41%

Byadagi 46%

Hirekerur 45%

Ranebennur 41%

Total 43.33% in Haveri district. Inputs by Basavaraj Maralihalli/101Reporters

1.23 pm: A woman was stopped from entering a polling booth in Belagavi as she was reluctant to remove her ‘burqa’ for identification. She was later allowed when a woman official identified her inside a cubicle.

1.17 pm:

1.15 pm: Voters who made their debut today can head to Hotel Nisarga Grand Pure, opposite the Vidhan Soudha for free dosa and coffee. And those who aren’t first-timers will also get a complimentary cup of coffee, its owner told NDTV.

1.08 pm: There were clashes in Bengaluru. “It is a sensitive polling booth & the clash between BJP and Congress workers happened within 100 meters of the booth. We will investigate and take further action,” Ravi Channannavar, Bengaluru DCP

1.05 pm: Former Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde cast his vote at a polling booth in Bengaluru. “Over the years, I feel that malpractices have increased,” ANI quoted Hegde as saying. “Distribution of sarees, alcohol, dhotis & cookers have come out in open. It is not a good sign in democracy.”

It was Justice Hegde, as the Lokayukta, who had recommended a probe into the role of then CM and current CM candidate of the BJP, BS Yeddyurappa, and five other ministers in the illegal mining scam in Bellary.

1.00 pm:

12.58 pm: Phakirawa Savanur, 100 years old lady showing her inked finger after casting her vote. Her grandson helped her reach the polling station.

Image by 101 Reporters

12.53 pm:

12.50 pm: JD(S)’s HD Deve Gowda cast his vote at polling booth no.244 in Holenarasipura town in Hassan district, says, “We expect a possibility of forming the government, we have done well.”

12.48 pm: About 24 per cent polling has been recorded within the first four hours after voting began for the fiercely fought Karnataka Assembly polls this morning. According to state electoral authorities, the highest 31 per cent voting was recorded in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts respectively at 11 am while Bengaluru urban recorded the lowest at 17 per cent. Moderate to brisk polling was reported from all over the state, officials said.

12.43 pm: Congress president Rahul Gandhi has urged the people of Karnataka to participate in the “festival of democracy” by voting in large numbers. Gandhi also welcomed first-time voters to take part in the electoral process. “Voter exercising his right without fail is the sign of functional democracy. I welcome all my young friends who are casting their vote for first time in Karnataka,” Gandhi said in a tweet in Kannada.

12.40 pm: Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge took a jibe at BJP saying the saffron outfit will not win more than 60-70 seats. “They are just “dreaming” of forming a government in Karnataka, he said.

12.35 pm: Kalyani an 80-year-old woman who had lost her son three days back came with the help of her neighbours to her voting booth. Still grieving, she remembered her son Sunil had brought her to the same polling station in 2013 and 2014. She was given a wheelchair and was ushered into the polling booth without waiting in the queue. The voters who were in the queue readily consented. 101 Reporters/M Raghuram

 

12.25 pm: We are very-very confident that Congress party will come back to power with complete majority: CM Siddaramaiah in Mysuru’s Varuna

 

 

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