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
Ya ya rightly said bopanna...90% of rapes world wide done by them only ..mustapanna ...piece kabab country kananna adu ...
Third rated person from third rated community ...he must be sent for 5 years jail...in their community women are treated as property ...no voice and no respect for opinion ...jail that rapist ..ley sheikh koorappa saaku ...u don't have any rights to say that. .....frustration yaargappa sameee...jihadists are highly frustrated across the globe ...India dallanthu ..burnol sales day by day jaasthine agtha ide...Russians are banging kaali plate of Islamic state ...Islamic banana republic of porkistan are banged up by RAW ,Chinese are banging third rated in people and asking them to shave their beards ..turkey itself getting banged front and back ...no need to say about Israelis ..haha ..Israel hesru helidre ...loose motion suru Agathe jihadi galige ..haha ..adu bidi maarre ...papa the Jana Myanmar navaru jihadi gala attahaasavannu end madlikke rohingya galanna odistha iddare ..mostly bunder nalli iro bunder galige artha agalla ..yaake Andre avakke tale ne tirgalla ..tale yaake tirgalla Andre mallya juice haakalla ...haha...baa maams siddu has brought down on tax on wine...neenu hodi .sheikh GU haaksu ...burnol ge haako dudnslli swalpa karch maadi aitha ?...haha
.... But still, islum has more rapists and thrives per 100 of population .....
Aslum gussa mat Ho ! Islam is full of peas ! Happy ?
Bopanna,
Just shut your mouth, in each religion, each city, each country there is good and bad people, it doesn't mean what you barking!! Senseless fellow...
At what age did wish a get married ?
BhaiLog, sach kadva hots hai.
Why u lot barking when u hear the truth ? Look at most rapes who is behind it ? In Kerala one girl killed by whom ? ANWAR UL ISLAM !!!
Bopanna is your name is named by your parents? or r u shamed of your name which your parents named you and you changed yourself? Dont be shamed show your identity so all can know wich material ur made up from.. May god give you some knowledge and peace.. follower of frustated party... haha
Bopanna: be matured, go through all the crime incidents and please dont try to climb for religious status. Mr Bopanna(its not your real name) might you are working and getting salary from religious of peace people's country) why cant you get out from KSA??? BE WELL MATURED BEFORE COMMENT.
@Bopanna. If you judge a BMW car by the driver of it, then your perception is not correct.
follower of piece is namo naresh !
The minute I read the heading I was thinking that this guy must be the
Follower of the \religion of peace\". As expected from you guys anyway"
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