THUNDERSTORM, SQUALL LIKELY IN NORTH INDIA

NEW DELHI:

Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh are likely to witness thunderstorm accompanied with squall, while parts of Rajasthan might see dust storm over the next two days, the IMD said on Saturday. Thunderstorm over these hill-states states and its subsequent effect on plains in north Indian is due to a new western disturbance from

Sunday. Western disturbance originates in the Mediterranean Sea that brings sudden rains to northwestern parts of India. Parts of Uttar Pradesh too might be affected. PTI

Exit polls predicted a close fight for the Karnataka assembly on Saturday, with most of them predicting the Congress would emerge as the single-largest party.

The election commission said the state recorded 70% turnout, lower than the 71.4% in the last elections in 2013. The polling figure is likely to go up since s some voters were still queued up at polling stations after 6 pm.

In what is projected as a tight race, voting was held in 222 out of 224 seats in a three-cornered contest among the ruling Congress, the BJP and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda’s JD(S).

Karnataka, which has 50.6 million eligible voters, is one of the three states where the Congress is still in power.

The Congress has built its campaign around chief minister Siddaramaiah and the achievements of his government, including his welfare measures.

Prime Minister Narendra

NEW DELHI/BENGALURU: