Women line up to cast votes at a polling station in Mysuru on Friday | Udayshankara S
BENGALURU: Polling to 105 urban local bodies (ULBs) across 21 districts of the state was largely peaceful on Friday. However, a few minor untoward incidents and glitches in electronic voting machines (EVMs) were reported. The overall tentative turnout was about 50% and the exact number is expected only on Saturday.
Polling was held for three city corporations (Mysuru, Shivamogga and Tumakuru), 29 city municipal councils (CMCs), 53 town municipal councils (TMCs) and 20 town panchayats(TPs) with a total electorate of 36.03 lakh.
Polling, which started on a moderate note, picked up pace by noon. The polling was dull in the three corporations compared to the enthusiasm witnessed among the electorate in other ULBs. Only 38.49% of the electorate had exercised their franchise in the three city corporations till 3 pm with Mysuru (65 wards) seeing just 35.25% polling.
The figure in Shivamogga and Tumakuru with 35 wards each was more encouraging with a polling percentage of 41.23 and 45.83 respectively. In contrast, about 52.68% of the voters had exercised their franchise in other ULBs by 3 pm. The electorate in 20 TPs stood tall compared to voters in other ULBs as 62% of them had voted by 3 pm. The figure for the 29 CMCs was 48.65% and 53 TMCs was 57.12% till 3pm. The polling will decide the fate of 9,121 candidates.
Counting of votes will be done on September 3. Most polling booths in Belagavi district witnessed brisk polling as long queues could be seen outside most booths since 7 am. The district registered 45.40% of polling by 1 pm. In Uttara Kannada district, voting for eight ULBs, including three CMCs, was peaceful. By 3 pm, 49% of the voters had exercised their franchise in the district. Meanwhile, BJP and SDPI workers clashed outside polling booth number 385 at Shaktinagar in Mysuru after an altercation. Seven BJP workers, including the party candidate Samarth Sandeshswamy, were injured in the clash.
