Voting for the Karnataka Assembly elections is underway. In the first two hours till 9 am, 8.26 per cent polling was recorded. Coastal Udupi district recorded the highest voter turnout of 13.28 per cent till 9 am, while Chittaranjan district recorded the lowest voter turnout of 5.57 per cent. The polling began at 7 in the morning and will continue at 6 in the evening. A total of two thousand six hundred and 15 candidates are contesting for two hundred and twenty-four seats in the assembly. Voting is being conducted at 58 thousand five hundred 45 polling stations.
Senior leaders of major political parties cast their votes and appealed to the citizens to vote in large numbers. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa cast their vote along with their families. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman casts her vote at a polling booth in Bengaluru. BJP MP from Bengaluru Tejashwi Surya also voted in Bengaluru.
Congress leaders and former chief ministers Siddaramaiah and Jagadish Shettar cast their votes and appealed to the people to vote. As time progressed, long lines of voters were seen at most polling stations. Young voters are coming in large numbers to vote. The Election Commission has made elaborate arrangements for conducting free and fair polls. Chief Election Commission Rajeev Kumar has appealed to young and urban voters to come forward to vote and actively participate in the festival of democracy.