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
Aditiya Anand is a Hard core communal Hindu terrorist working under the shelter, protection and with the support of BJP. Second one is shakshi maharaj. They are not the saints or Sadhus but are the goons only to terrorize the minority classes as well as scheduled castes and backward classes.The government is keeping a blind eye toward these anti social elements.They must be controlled and debated from anti-social activities at the earliest possible. otherwise government of India will have to face the revolt from within the party folds. As there are people who are against such elements and do not want to set these bhagwa/saffron dressed miscreants free from the clutches of the law and order. The ministry of HOME Affairs must turn the cannons of law and order towards these anti-social...anti religious....anti law....anti humanism people.
Fake yogi
Put him in jail
AIMMM must file a case (nirbhaya a Ct?)
The trails and full investigation should in camera and identity of the victims shouldn't revealed.
Dear coastal digest my humble request with you please do not post PSYCHIATRISTS comments.
Naren potian can you send your sister to this place?
#RUC taken many action on it with their team
first of belated happy new year wishes for ultra nationalist Indian s ,who thinks nation first and religion second ...hahaha Look at the frustration among Itch guard users from one particular community ... all fake news .sorry to say CD is not at all posting news in which islamic millitants committing henious crimes and terrorists acts , be it in malda or in Bihar or pathankot ... even papa al quaida terrorist sikkagle in bangalore, chummah antha ummah kottu , chumma chumma dede antha ummah ge hurt agbardu antha news ne haakalla ..this shows the maturity of this news media , fake victimisation is new found technic by muslims but everybody knows the truth mama.. One particular religion on daily basis kidnaps 1000's of non muslim gals based on instruction from headless and rapist preachers , who scream for jihad ... we know how these piece piece religion sells women in petrol pumps of raqqa,syria on USD basis ... hahaha .
Ley fairman , we are not living in ISIS controlled or saud family ruled rogue nation to behead democratically elected person .. India mama idu ... sorry Hindusthan kano .. acha kannadali bharatha khanda mams idu ..yenne haakidya henge guru ... mostly local haakirbeku ... filter less agi , olagade iro true attitude aache bandide ... hahaha
anyways long live RSS , Jai bajrangdal ... Jai yogi adithya nand ...we must learn from Israel to counter anti national terrorists , Intifada maadthini anno munde maklanna shivana paada kke seristha iro israelis are really great .. avarigu jai andu bidona ... hara hara modi ... jai jai modi ... bholo bharath mata ki jai ... bholo sangh parivar ki jai ...
Is Judiciary exist in the country and vigilant on the rule of law and feels its responsibility to protect the minorities
Are these girls Sunni or Siya.?
How some young men becoming nexalites, terrorists, decoits???
because of \gomuka vyagra\" criminals existing in our places.
To take revenge youngsters are becoming terrorists to teach a lessons to these anti nationals.
This man along with his groups should be banned and arrested.
But the Government is supporting these goons because the Government is governed by RSS ( who are the God father for all these criminal terrorists)."
ALLAH will allow to cross the limits to Evil doers ,,,then he will catch them in their necks, but the time will be over to repent........................but we have to work hard to bring back glory of Muslims not ISLAM,..........ISLAM will prevail as ALLAH will take care of it
Be honest
Be vigilant if Religion or Women comes under attack
Be Prayfull
Dont sit at home and think that Duaa is enough...if its true then Allah created Humans when Angles were there already...its a test to all of us
This guy deserves to be beheaded immediately and his daughters to be just kidnapped and treated good, so that he and his followers learn well.
Ya it is true. yogi should be banned from india
seriously, AIMMM dont have any work to do.
what non sense it is,
YA ALLAH save us from Such human devils.
Oh Ummah, please be alert because devils are roaming freely.. because the Word of ALLAH is kept in the SHELF ...
& also
Our prophet said be UNITED
Groups say : Don't UNITE by adding their own version to TRUE ISLAM.
Think which Group is asking U NOT to GET UNITED?
ALL types of devils will run away when we act upon the word of ALLAH...
Lets not be a MUSLIM only by name... We should act as a MUSLIM. U just need to take the step... ALLAH will help U fight such devils in ins & jinns. There is no POWER nor MIGHT except with ALLAH.
one more allegation, what are we. what are we hearing, seriously we common people are not understanding.
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