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“Till 3 pm, 56.43 per cent of voters cast their ballot. It has certainly crossed over 60 per cent as of close at 5 pm. The exact poll percentage would be known later,” an Election Commission official said.
As many as 207 ULBs — seven city corporations, 43 city municipal corporations, 64 town municipal councils and 93 town panchayats — went to polls. Nearly 5,000 wards in all were up for grabs, with close to 22,000 candidates in the fray.
It’s one less than the previously-announced 208 ULBs as none filed nomination in Terdal Town Municipal Council in Bagalkot district. The people there were protesting against the government not including Terdal in newly-carved out taluks in the state. “The election was totally peaceful,” the EC official said.
Nevertheless, there were complaints of missing names in voters’ list, malfunctioning of electronic voting machines and verbal duels between political rivals in some parts of the state, but they were described as “minor incidents”.
“According to reports, BJP has got good support in the elections. I am confident that the BJP would emerge as the number one (winner),” Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who voted in his home-town of Hubli-Dharwad in north Karnataka, told reporters.
Assembly elections in the state are due in May, and today’s poll in urban pockets would demonstrate the strength main political parties in the State — BJP, Congress and JD(S).
Karnataka Janatha Paksha of former CM B S Yeddyurappa and BSR Congress of former BJP Minister B Sriramulu, are testing the political waters for the first time, and their performance would be keenly watched.
The last time around, in 2007 (BJP government came to power in 2008), the Congress topped the tally, winning 1,606 wards, followed by JD(S) 1,502 and the BJP 1,180.
Stakes are particulary high for the ruling BJP now as the party is without heavyweight Yeddyurappa, who last year parted ways and floated KJP.
State BJP chief resigns
In a surprise development and with the Assembly elections just round the corner, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister K S Eshwarappa on Thursday resigned as the state unit BJP President.
“I have quit to facilitate the appointment of new President,” Eshwarappa said.
He has sent in his resignation letter to party President Rajnath Singh.
