K’taka bypolls: 13.20% turnout in Belgaum LS; 19.48 and 19.30% in Basvakalya and Maski assembly seats till 11 am

Bengaluru: The Belgaum Lok Sabha seat in Karnataka has recorded a voter turnout of 13.20 percent, while Basavakalyan and Maski assembly segments reported 19.48 and 19.30 percent respectively during the first four hours of voting for the by-polls, poll officials said on Saturday. Polling began with strict adherence to COVID protocols in all three constituencies at 7 am and will go on till 7 pm.

A total of 22,68,038 voters (including service voters) are eligible to cast their votes at 3,197 polling stations in the three constituencies. A total of 30 candidates in the fray from all three constituencies. While Belgaum has ten candidates, Basavakalyan and Maski have 12 and 8 respectively. Twenty-six out of the total 30 candidates are men, among 4 women include two from Basavakalyan and one each from Belgaum and Maski. The counting of votes will take place on May 2.

By-polls to Belgaum Lok Sabha and Basavakalyan Assembly seats are necessitated following the death of Union Minister Suresh Angadi and MLA B Narayan Rao respectively due to COVID-19 in September last year. Maski assembly seat fell vacant following the disqualification of MLA Prathapagouda Patil who had won in 2018 from Congress and is now with the BJP.

The ruling BJP and opposition Congress are battling it out in all three constituencies, while JD(S) has limited itself to Basavakalyan, as the regional party has not fielded any candidates in Maski and Belgaum. The ruling BJP has fielded Mangala Suresh Angadi, the wife of late Suresh Angadi, from the Belgaum Lok Sabha seat. Pratapagouda Patil, who quit Congress and joined the party is the saffron party’s candidate in the Maski assembly segment; while youth leader Sharanu Salagar has been fielded in Basavakalyan.

The Congress has fielded its state-working president Satish Jarkiholi, who is currently the MLA of Yamkanmaradi assembly segment, as its candidate from Belgaum. Mallamma, the wife of late legislator B Narayan Rao is the grand old party’s candidate from the Basavakalyan seat, while Basanagouda Turvihal, who recently joined the party has been fielded in the Maski segment. JD(S) has named Syed Yasrab Ali Quadri, who was with the Congress earlier as its candidate from Basavakalyan.