High-voltage Karnataka battle ends
ALL THREE MAIN CONTENDERS FOR POWER — CONGRESS, BJP AND JD-S — CLAIM THEY WILL WIN HANDS DOWN
Ahigh-stakes battle for the Karnataka Assembly ended yesterday evening, with around 30 million voting in an election crucial for the ruling Congress as well as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal-Secular.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he was “very, very confident” that the Congress would retain power in the only major southern state it now rules as officials said more than 60 per cent of the over 50.6 million electorate had voted up to 6pm.
“Voting has been peaceful by and large, barring a few incidents of some non-functional EVMs [electronic voting machines], missing voter names and procedural delays,” an official said.
All three main contenders for power — the Congress, the BJP and the JD-S — claimed they would win outright.
Claims of dirty tricks made by India’s two main parties cast a cloud over voting in the state yesterday after nearly 10,000 voting cards were seized by election authorities.
The Congress party, which has dominated Indian politics in the seven decades since independence, is fighting to retain its last major state, Karnataka, amid a fierce battle with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling BJP.
Voting was postponed in one constituency after the discovery of the voting cards, which authorities suspect were obtained through bribes. Police have launched an investigation.
The state election commission said there was a plot to “vitiate the poll process” in Rajarajeshwari Nagar district of the state capital Bengaluru.
Congress and the BJP accused each other over the fraud. Voting in the district was pushed back to May 28.
Tens of thousands of security personnel were deployed across the state of 65 million people for voting. The results, which will have a major impact on campaigning for a national election next year, are to be announced on Tuesday.
BJP chief minister bullish
The BJP’s Chief Ministerial face B.S. Yeddyurappa was among the first to vote at Shikaripura in Shivamogga district. He has claimed the BJP will secure 140-150 seats and that he will invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to his swearing in.
Siddaramaiah ridiculed him after voting yesterday, saying the BJP leader was “mentally disturbed” and that the Congress was sure of bagging more than 120 seats. JD-S chief and former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda, his wife Chennamma and second son H.D. Revanna cast their votes in their hometown Holenarsipura in Hassan district.
“We expect a possibility of forming the government as we have done well to get a majority,” Deve Gowda told reporters.
Many in Bengaluru lined up outside polling centres since 6.30am to beat the early rush.
In all, voting is being conducted in 26 of the 28 constituencies in the city. The electorate includes 26 million men and 25 million women. A total of 1.54 million voters, aged 18-19, have registered for the first time.
The highest number of voters (603,000) are in Bengaluru South and the lowest (170,000) at Sringeri in Chikkamagaluru district.
Polling was held in 58,008 stations in 30 districts, with 600 of them dubbed ‘pink booths’, overseen by women personnel. More than 150,000 security personnel have been deployed.
In all, 2,654 candidates are in the fray, including 219 women.
A total of 222 are from the Congress and BJP each, 201 from JD-S, 1,155 independents and 800 from other national, regional and fringe parties.
About 450 contestants are in the battle from Bengaluru. Siddaramaiah is contesting from Chamundeshwari at Mysuru and Badami in Bagalkot district.