The voting for Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023 concluded and the latest figures show a 71.77 per cen♔t voter turnout on Wednesday.
Voting is underway in Karnat♛aka where assembly elections are being held in a single phase. It is a high stakes state whe𝓡re the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is eyeing to script history by returning to power.
In the run-up to the 2024 general elections, Karnataka election results along with other key states of Chhatꦬtisgarh and Rajasthan are expected to set the tone for general elections next year.
In the eight hours of voting, Ramanagara recorded the highest t꧒urnout of 63.36 per cent, while the the lowest polling was seen in Bruhat Bengalu🍎ru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) South limits (parts of Bengaluru city) at 40.28 per cent, election officials said.
A total of 5.3 crore (5,31,3▨3,054 to be precise) electors a🐼re eligible to cast their vote in 58,545 polling stations across the state, where 2,615 candidates are in the fray.
As many as 84,119 State Police Officers and 58,500 Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel in 650 companies are on law and order and security 👍duty on poll day across the 🔯state.
Former Karnataka CM and senior BJP leader BS Yediyurappa visited and offers prayers at Sri Huccharaya Swami Temple in Shikaripur, along with his family. His son, BY Vijayendra is contes🍌ting from the Assembly constituenc꧃y.
Prime Min♎ister Narendra Modi on Wednesday urged the people of Karnataka to vote in large numbers and enrich the festival of democracy. Modi tweeted, "Urging the people of Karnataka, particularly young and first time voters to vote in large numb🐲ers and enrich the festival of democracy."
Home Minister Am🍸it Shah too urged people to "come out in large numbers to vote for good governance, development and pr⭕osperity in the state".
"Your one vote can ensure a pro-peopl﷽e and pro-progress govt that will continue to take the stat🌟e to newer heights," he tweeted.
Meanwhile, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said that, "People of Karnataka have decided that they shall choose a progressive, transparent & welfare-oriented government. Today, it is time vote in large numbers. ꦬWe welcome our first time voters to participate in this democratic process for a better future."
The voting that began at 7 am amid tight security will go on till 6 in the evening. The co✱unting of votes will take place on Saturday.
Karnataka is mainly witnessing a three-cornered contest between the ruling BJP, the Conꦕgress, and former prime minister﷽ HD Deve Gowda's Janata Dal (Secular).
In the last assembly elections, the BꦫJP had emerged as the single-largest party with 104 seats, followed by Congress wಞith 80 MLAs and JD(S) with 37 MLAs. There was one independent MLA and the BSP and Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janatha Party (KPJP) had one legislator each.
(With inputs from PTI)
