Belagavi / Hubli / Kalaburagi : Vigorous voting for three municipal bodies of the city Belagavi, Hubbali-Dharwad And Kalaburagi Barely 50 per cent voting took place in corporations on Friday amid fears of the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, out of 17.4 lakh people, around 8.7 lakh voters cast their votes today, deciding the fate of 1,045 candidates.
The civic polls are the first direct elections the ruling BJP is facing under the leadership of a new chief minister. Basavaraj Bommai, who will be banking on his leadership for the saffron party to send a message to his opponents on a good walk.
For Congress, any victory in all three corporations would be a fine show of strength. North Karnataka And set the stage for them to move ahead in the impending Zilla Parishad/TP elections to incentivize their cadre.
Belagavi:
In Belagavi, 385 candidates are in the fray and voters suggested that there may not be a clear victory for any of the three main parties – BJP, Congress and Maharashtra Ekkarna Samiti (MES) in the fray.
The overall voter turnout till 5 pm was 50 per cent, with 56 per cent voting in the 2013 elections.
BJP workers were allegedly seen distributing voter slips bearing the party symbol and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s picture at some booths in Ward 45.
Congress leader and Belagavi Rural MLA Lakshmi Hebbalkar snatched some slips and later brought the issue to the notice of the Election Commission.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) working president Satish Jarkiholi said that both Congress and BJP leaders have expressed confidence of winning maximum number of seats, adding that people are fed up with the increase in prices of the BJP government, Whereas BJP Belagavi South MLA Abhay Patil has suggested that youth are influenced by the developmental activities done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and hence people will elect the party to power.
Hubbali-Dharwad
Barring a few minor incidents, polling in Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation on Friday was peaceful and the fate of 402 candidates has been sealed. The polling which started at a slow pace ended with great enthusiasm in the evening.
Hubli-Dharwad recorded 50.39% voter turnout till 5 pm, compared to 66 per cent in the last election in 2013.
There were minor clashes between candidates in Ward No. 3 and 6, where a BJP candidate clashed with an Independent and a Congress candidate, respectively.
Senior BJP leaders including former CM Jagadish Shettar, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and others also voted in the city.
Kalaburagi
In Kalaburagi also, the elections for all 55 wards of Kalaburagi Municipal Corporation were completed peacefully. Till 6 pm, Kalaburgi recorded 58 per cent voter turnout, the highest among the three civic bodies that went to polls on Friday.
The civic polls are the first direct elections the ruling BJP is facing under the leadership of a new chief minister. Basavaraj Bommai, who will be banking on his leadership for the saffron party to send a message to his opponents on a good walk.
For Congress, any victory in all three corporations would be a fine show of strength. North Karnataka And set the stage for them to move ahead in the impending Zilla Parishad/TP elections to incentivize their cadre.
Belagavi:
In Belagavi, 385 candidates are in the fray and voters suggested that there may not be a clear victory for any of the three main parties – BJP, Congress and Maharashtra Ekkarna Samiti (MES) in the fray.
The overall voter turnout till 5 pm was 50 per cent, with 56 per cent voting in the 2013 elections.
BJP workers were allegedly seen distributing voter slips bearing the party symbol and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s picture at some booths in Ward 45.
Congress leader and Belagavi Rural MLA Lakshmi Hebbalkar snatched some slips and later brought the issue to the notice of the Election Commission.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) working president Satish Jarkiholi said that both Congress and BJP leaders have expressed confidence of winning maximum number of seats, adding that people are fed up with the increase in prices of the BJP government, Whereas BJP Belagavi South MLA Abhay Patil has suggested that youth are influenced by the developmental activities done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and hence people will elect the party to power.
Hubbali-Dharwad
Barring a few minor incidents, polling in Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation on Friday was peaceful and the fate of 402 candidates has been sealed. The polling which started at a slow pace ended with great enthusiasm in the evening.
Hubli-Dharwad recorded 50.39% voter turnout till 5 pm, compared to 66 per cent in the last election in 2013.
There were minor clashes between candidates in Ward No. 3 and 6, where a BJP candidate clashed with an Independent and a Congress candidate, respectively.
Senior BJP leaders including former CM Jagadish Shettar, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and others also voted in the city.
Kalaburagi
In Kalaburagi also, the elections for all 55 wards of Kalaburagi Municipal Corporation were completed peacefully. Till 6 pm, Kalaburgi recorded 58 per cent voter turnout, the highest among the three civic bodies that went to polls on Friday.
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