An estimated 60 per cent of the nearly 1.73 crore voters exercised their franchise in the crucial first phase of Assembly elections in 89 of the 224 constituencies of Karnataka.
NEW DELHI: An estimated 60 per cent of the nearly 1.73 crore voters on Saturday exercised their franchise in the crucial first phase of Assembly elections in 89 of the 224 constituencies of Karnataka.
"Polling was peaceful and there were no reports of any untoward incident like booth capture or violence from anywhere in the state," Deputy Chief Election Commissioner R Bhattacharya said here.
He said 64 per cent voters exercised their franchise in rural areas while 50 per cent turnout was recorded in urban centres. Around 7,700 central officials monitored the polling held in 18,598 stations across 11 districts on Saturday.
The polling percentage could increase as people waited in queues inside polling stations even after the close of polling at 1700 hours, he added.
Bhattacharya said the state Election Commission has issued a notice to Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde for "violating" the model code of conduct by announcing free power to farmers in a television interview earlier in the day.
"He has been asked to reply within 48 hours," Bhattacharya said.
The first phase of polling will decide the fate of political heavyweights like former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy (JD-S), his brother Revanna and Congress Campaign Committee Chairman and former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Kumaraswamy, son of JD-S supremo H D Devegowda, is seeking re-election from Ramanagara seat while Siddaramaiah is trying his luck from newly-carved Varuna seat in Mysore District and Revenna is contesting from Holenarasipura seat.
Bhattacharya said a polling official was replaced in one of the booths in Varuna constituency after complaints that he was "apparently partial".
Reports from Bangalore said the official was removed following complaints from the BJP that he canvassed votes for the Congress.
The districts where voting took place today are -- Tumkur, Chikkaballapur, Kolar, Bangalore Urban, Bangalore Rural, Ramanagara, Mandya, Hassan, Kodagu, Mysore and Chamarajanagar.
Elections to Karnataka Assembly is the first such exercise after the completion of the delimitation process.
More than 950 candidates, including 440 independents, were in the fray for the first phase being held in the Old Mysore region from where the JD-S bagged 34 seats in the 2004 elections. The Congress then secured 24 and BJP 15.
To another question on complaints about circulation of bogus election identity cards, Bhattacharya said one person was arrested three days ago with 33 photo identity cards out of which 32 have later been found to be genuine.
He said the matter is being investigated and strict monitoring was in place at the polling station mentioned in the voter identity card.
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