Karnataka Elections 2023 Live updates: 65.69% voter turnout recorded till 5 pm

Karnataka Elections 2023: The epic fight of the ballots in Karnataka has begun after a high-voltage campaign. In Karnataka, elections for 224 assembly seats started at 7 am and will go till 6 pm. 

In the 58,545 polling locations spread out around the state, a total of 5,31,33,054 electors are entitled to vote. The BJP, Congress, and JD(S) are the top political parties involved. 113 seats are required to achieve a majority and form a government.

Karnataka is seeing a triangular contest between the ruling BJP, Congress and the JDS. 

Early votes included the founder of Infosys, Narayana Murthy, actor Prakash Raj, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued an open letter to the people of the state a day before the Karnataka Elections. The letter reads, "You have always showered me with love and affection. It feels like a divine blessing to me.”

Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023 Live Update:

10:02 am: BJP MP Tejasvi Surya says, "Karnataka which is the land of Bajrang Bali will answer all these things on 13th May. We welcome DK Shivakumar and Congress party offering prayers to LPG cylinders, we are happy that Congress is doing some kind of puja at least."

#WATCH | "Karnataka which is the land of Bajrang Bali will answer all these things on 13th May. We welcome DK Shivakumar and Congress party offering prayers to LPG cylinders, we are happy that Congress is doing some kind of puja at least," says BJP MP Tejasvi Surya… pic.twitter.com/2xL9H1pKWJ — ANI (@ANI) May 10, 2023

10:08 am: "I am 200% confident Congress party will have 141 seats. We will win an absolute majority..," says Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar. 

10:20 am: The former chief minister of Karnataka and candidate for the Congress in the Hubli-Dharwad Central Assembly, Jagadish Shettar cast his vote. 

10:32 am: 'Ban on Bajrang Dal'

#WATCH | On Karnataka Congress manifesto mentioning the ban on Bajrang Dal, party's candidate from Hubli-Dharwad-Central, Jagadish Shettar says, "It is not a debatable question. I have already said on so many occasions that banning of any org, if it is against the Constitution,… pic.twitter.com/zSg62gVjas — ANI (@ANI) May 10, 2023

10:42 am: Karnataka Elections 2023: Promises made by Congress during Karnataka Elections

1. GRUHA JYOTHI
200 units of free electricity per month to every household.

2. GRUHA LAKSHMI SCHEME
₹2,000/month to every woman head of household. 

3. UCHITA PRAYANA
Free bus travel for all women across the state of Karnataka.

4. YUVA NIDHI
₹3,000/month for unemployed graduates & ₹1,500/month for unemployed diploma holders. 

5. ANNA BHAGYA
Free 10 kg of rice per person per month to BPL families.

10:58 am: 'The Kerala Story will not have any effect in Karnataka'

#WATCH | "I am 100% that my husband will win. Congress govt will come. It (The Kerala Story) will not have any effect in Karnataka. I appeal to people to vote for Congress," says wife of Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar#KarnatakaElections pic.twitter.com/tYNDK0jwIC — ANI (@ANI) May 10, 2023

11:09 am: Congress workers decorated LPG gas cylinders with garlands
In some locations, Congress workers could be observed burning incense sticks around LPG gas cylinders and decorating them with garlands. Congress said that Kannadigas have embraced the pre-voting ritual fad and are tweeting about it.

11:31 am: Former Cricketer Javagal Srinath cast his vote

#WATCH | #KarnatakaElection | Former cricketer Javagal Srinath cast his vote at a polling station in Mysuru.

He says, "...I request people to come, vote & choose a good leader for good democracy. I also voted...We must participate in democracy..." pic.twitter.com/RRDGX9l8W3 — ANI (@ANI) May 10, 2023

12:00 am: Kantara actor Rishab Shetty arrives at polling booth in Udupi

Actor Rishab Shetty arrives at a polling booth in Udupi to cast his vote for #KarnatakaAssemblyElection2023 pic.twitter.com/Y5lRiXoTy6 — ANI (@ANI) May 10, 2023

12:15 am: Kannada actor Daali Dhananjaya and his family cast their votes in Kalenahalli Village of Arsikere.

#KarnatakaElections | Kannada actor Daali Dhananjaya and his family cast their votes in Kalenahalli Village of Arsikere. pic.twitter.com/dTOywG0Eud — ANI (@ANI) May 10, 2023

12: 40 am: BC Nagesh, the BJP candidate from Tiptur assembly constituency, along with his family, exercised their right to vote in Tiptur.

#WATCH | #KarnatakaElections | State minister and BJP candidate from Tiptur assembly constituency, BC Nagesh and his family cast their votes in Tipatur. pic.twitter.com/ymkZt8xE2I — ANI (@ANI) May 10, 2023

1: 29 pm: Kannada actor Shiva Rajkumar and his wife, Geetha Shivarajkumar, a Congress leader, exercise their voting rights in the Karnataka elections.

#WATCH | Kannada actor Shiva Rajkumar and his wife and Congress leader Geetha Shivarajkumar cast their votes for #KarnatakaElections pic.twitter.com/pLq8RKCIBM — ANI (@ANI) May 10, 2023

1:38 pm: Congress national president, Mallikarjun Kharge, along with his wife, Radhabai Kharge, exercised their right to vote at a polling booth in Kalaburagi.

#WATCH | #KarnatakaElections | Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge and his wife Radhabai Kharge cast their votes at a polling booth in Kalaburagi. pic.twitter.com/Z6BH4uqwyY — ANI (@ANI) May 10, 2023

1:42 pm: As of 1 pm, the voter turnout for Karnataka elections stands at 37.25 percent.

37.25% voter turnout recorded till 1 pm, in #KarnatakaElections pic.twitter.com/YldlIoQwvg — ANI (@ANI) May 10, 2023

2: 03 pm: Former Prime Minister and JD(S) Chief HD Devegowda casts vote in Karnataka elections.

#WATCH | JD(S) chief and former Prime Minister HD Devegowda casts his vote for #KarnatakaElections2023 pic.twitter.com/6vqAY7Iwdu — ANI (@ANI) May 10, 2023

2: 22 pm: Nirmalananda, Vokkaliga Mutt leader. Swamiji casts his vote in Nagamangala district of Karnataka. 

VIDEO | Karnataka Elections: Vokkaliga mutt leader Nirmalananda Swamiji casts his vote in Nagamangala. #KarnatakaAssemblyElections2023 pic.twitter.com/TUuu7d9AuQ — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 10, 2023

3: 36 pm: Till 3 pm, the voter turnout was recorded 52.03% for Karnataka polls 2023.

3: 41 pm: Popular Kannada actor Dhruva Sarja voted in Bengaluru today.

4: 00 pm: After a poll officer in Vijayapura's Masabinala area was manhandled, around 23 people were detained. Control and voting units were also damaged by the assailants.

5: 00 pm: 65.69% of eligible voters cast ballots as of 5 pm.

5: 23 pm: Karnataka's ex-Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who is a candidate from Hubli-Dharwad Central Assembly constituency for Congress, stated, "People from all castes, everybody is working and voting for me. Congress and Jagadish Shettar will get elected with a huge margin," ANI reported.

5: 50 pm: Karnataka's election day started at 7 am and will end at 6 pm. Soon after, exit polls performed by news channels will be released.