Awareness drives, meandering queues, sel e points: What Karnataka witnessed this election season

There were also instances of villagers boycotting the Lok Sabha elections to register their protest against administrations turning a deaf ear to their grievances

With the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka ending, its curtains down to a period of high-decibel campaigns and war of words, some of which, at times, went on to become physical. If Congress anchored its campaign on the •ve guarantees and the Centre’s ‘injustice’ to the State which is going though one of its worst droughts, BJP mostly stuck to its ‘Modi development’ card and Hindutva rhetoric.

The murder of Neha Hiremath in Hubballi by her former classmate Fayaz Khondunaik almost a week before the •rst phase of elections set o– a political storm in the region. BJP wasted no time in alleging ‘love jihad’. The alleged sexual exploitation case involving Prajwal Revanna, the sitting JD(S) MP as well as the candidate from Hassan, however, put the BJP on the backfoot.

This was the •rst time that BJP and JD(S) went to the polls in a formal alliance. It was also an election season that saw fault lines forming in the BJPLingayat equations with some veteran leaders and seers from the community revolting against the candidature of Pralhad Joshi in Dharwad constituency.

There were also instances of villagers boycotting the elections to register their protest against administrations that have been ‘deaf’ to their grievances.

Despite voter awareness drives by various governmental bodies, civic organisations and individuals, the •rst phase of elections saw a lower voter turnout of 63.9%.

Voter turnout

Bengaluru’s apathy towards voting continued this election season too with almost half of the voter population staying away from getting inked. While the voting numbers in the urban region remained low, there seemed to be more enthusiasm in Bangalore Rural which recorded a relatively higher turnout of approximately 67%.

In the second phase, however, voters in the Kalyana-Karnataka and KitturKarnataka regions braved the scorching sun to record a relatively higher percentage. At 70.41%, the recorded turnout was, in fact, higher than what was recorded in the 14 seats in the previous Lok Sabha elections. The state will now wait for nearly a month to know whom its people have favoured.

ANI Voters show their ink-marked fingers after exercising their franchise on May 7.

UMESH S. SHETTIGAR An artistic campaign created on the sands of the Malpe Beach in Udupi to create awareness on the need to vote during the elections.

AFP A voter from the Hakki Pikki tribal community leaves after casting her vote in Shivamogga district on May 7.

AFP Supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party cheer during a roadshow by Home Minister Amit Shah in Bengaluru on April 23.

BHAGYA PRAKASH K. Eighty-five-year-old Ningamma after she voted in Bengaluru Rural Lok Sabha constituency.

PTI Congress supporters during an election rally of party leader Priyanka Gandhi in Bengaluru.

AFP A security o‰icial stands guard outside a polling station during the voting in Bengaluru.

BADIGER P.K. Women at a polling station in Belagavi.

M.A. SRIRAM Voters at a selfie point in a polling booth in Mysuru.