The Met department on Friday issued a forecast moderate to heavy rainfall in Karnataka tomorrow where voting for the 224 seats of Assembly will take place after a rancorous campaign lasting for months.
There are more than 4.96 crore voters who are eligible to exercise their franchise to choose their representatives from a field of little over 2,600 candidates. While some of them will have to face moderate rainfall, some of them will have to battle it out with heavy rainfall, accompanied with wind.
We are expecting light to moderate rainfall in Karnataka tomorrow. At isolated places, we are expecting heavy rainfall, accompanied with wind. Expecting rainfall in evening and night, it may be there in the day but with less frequency," CS Patil, an official at India Meteorological Dept in Bengaluru, said.
Soon after the IMD forecast, parts of the state including capital Bengaluru was drenched with shower.
The warning comes as thunder and hailstorm has claimed over 100 lives in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan in last one week alone. At least 18 people were killed and over 27 injured thunder and hailstorm that wreaked havoc in over a dozen districts in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday night. Earlier, at least 73 persons were killed and over 100 injured when storm hit western parts of Uttar Pradesh about a week ago.
Meanwhile, the preparations for the voting in Karnataka was in full swing today with heavy deployment of security forces including paramilitary personnel. Over 3.5 lakh personnel will be on duty to ensure a free and fair poll at over 55,600 polling stations.
The ruling Congress and the BJP are the main contenders for power, while former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda's JD(S) is likely to play the kingmaker, according to most surveys and opinion polls.
No party in Karnataka has won a second successive term in office since 1985 when the Janata Dal under Ramakrishna Hegde had retained power.
The Congress is aiming at retaining the only large state it rules after Punjab, while the BJP is striving to form its government in Karnataka, which party president Amit Shah said will be its "gateway to south", for a second time.
The BJP had ruled the state between 2008 and 2013, the only time it did so, but its tenure was marred by intra-party feuds and allegations of corruption. One of its three chief ministers and its current chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa was in jail over corruption charges.
JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy has conceded it was a "battle for survival" for his party which has been out of power for a decade now.
The Congress is, however, confident of breaking the jinx, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah saying the party will create history.
(With PTI inputs)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Rain hits Bengaluru day before polling (ANI)")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}