Bengaluru: Voting was underway on Friday in the first phase of Lok Sabha polls in 14 constituencies in Karnataka. Polling began at 7 am and will end at 6 pm.
A total of 247 candidates -- 226 men and 21 women -- are in the fray for the first phase covering most of the southern and coastal districts, where more than 2.88 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in 30,602 polling stations.
The Congress and BJP are locking horns on the electoral battleground again in less than a year. This election is witnessing a straight fight between the ruling Congress and the BJP-JD(S) combine unlike the Assembly elections in May last year which witnessed a triangular contest among the three parties.
The state has a total of 28 Lok Sabha constituencies. The second phase of polling in the remaining 14 seats is on May 7.
In the first phase, while the Congress is contesting in all 14 seats, BJP has fielded nominees in 11 and its alliance partner JD(S), which joined the National Democratic Alliance in (NDA) in September last year, in three -- Hassan, Mandya and Kolar.
Besides the three, the segments where elections are being held on Friday are: Udupi-Chikmagalur, Dakshina Kannada, Chitradurga, Tumkur, Mysore, Chamarajanagar, Bangalore Rural, Bangalore North, Bangalore Central, Bangalore South and Chikkballapur.
According to Election Commission, 1.4 lakh polling officials are on duty for the first phase. Besides them, 5,000 micro-observers, 50,000 civil police personnel, and 65 companies of Central Paramilitary Force and State Armed Police force of other States have been deployed for security. All the 2,829 polling stations of Bangalore Rural parliamentary constituency are being webcast.
"This is as per the request of our returning officers and observers; so we have given more than double the Central paramilitary force for Bangalore Rural constituency. Seven companies of Central paramilitary forces have been inducted at the constituency since April 22," Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Meena has said.
In fact, out of the total 30,602 polling stations in the first phase, 19,701 are webcast, and 1,370 covered via CCTVs, he had added. Chikkaballapur has a maximum number of 29 candidates, followed by 24 in Bangalore Central, and Dakshina Kannada has the least number at nine.
JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy from Mandya, his brother-in-law and noted cardiologist C N Manjunath from Bangalore Rural on a BJP ticket against Deputy CM D K Shivakumar's brother and MP D K Suresh of Congress, and erstwhile Mysuru royal family scion Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar from Mysore, from the BJP, are among the prominent candidates in the fray in the first phase.
Also in the contest are BJP MP Tejasvi Surya from Bangalore South pitted against Minister Ramalinga Reddy's daughter Sowmya Reddy of Congress, and Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje on BJP ticket from Bangalore North against former Indian Institute of Management Bangalore professor M V Rajeev Gowda of Congress.
Comments
Worst than sadak chaap.
Khud Bhikary saath meiin ganesh ko bhi .....
WHere is vhp;bd
Where are the 2 Go sons naren and Viren....please support your funds shafts rasoolullah friends......bheek manage kyo Ganesha ka izzat ka Florida banaate ho.....ha ha....
Collecting fund for handicap or poor God.
Shame....Shame...What kind of shameless beggars in the name of Ganesh or Nagesh they need money to boos useless creature. this drama of worship should be stopped all over in India
PREM,
Even if God comes himself and tells them, they will not agree.
For them is the Ayat:-
Say, O disbelievers
I do not worship what you worship
Nor are you worshipers of what I worship.
Nor I will be a worshiper of what you worship.
For you is your religion and for me is my religion.
Our job is to give only message. Rest is Allah who will enlighten them. It's between them and their creator.
Not to worry too much if Allah sends him to Hell. It's his wish.
really conjuse people of india.
You can find these kind of goons every nooks and corners of India since Bajrangi and sangh pariwar came in to existence around....they don't have moral value, go in to any level and terrorize people for their benefit....even police also mute spectators in front of them...and support them in their ugly activities...
If you think Ganesha is your God then you should question yourself. Y cant Ganesh fix his elephant head to a human head?
Is nt it logic and just. How can we depend on such god who doesnt know to fix himself.. U may be angry with me for this but read vedas too , its written there is no image of God.
God doesnt have any image (NA TASYA PRATIMA ASTI-There is no image of GOD) . How can you guys not use your intellect & Verify why your own book says there is no image of God...
A kind advice Dont worship the images or people its just a man made creation.. God will show us his sign when we try to know about him (Read all religious book) and he will surely show his attributes in our life.
All these are the sign of ACHE DIN in India.You people voted and made uneducated,Uncultured,people to sit in high post now suffer.
Just wait and watch much more to come..
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