About 35% polling reported till 1 pm in Karnataka by-polls
Bengaluru, Nov 3 : About 35 per cent voting was recorded Saturday during the first half of polling for the by-polls to three Lok Sabha and two assembly constituencies in Karnataka.
While the Lok Sabha constituencies of Shivamogga, Ballari and Mandya have recorded 30.20, 35.72, 26.80 per cent voting, respectively, till 1 pm, the assembly segments of Ramanagara and Jamkhandi reported 39.81 and 43.50 per cent respectively.
Voting began at 7 am will go on till six in the evening. A total of 54,54,275 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in about 6,450 polling stations.
There are 31 candidates in the fray in the five constituencies, though the contest is mainly between the Congress-JD(S) combine and the BJP.
Counting of votes will be held on November 6.
Though the turnout was low during the initial few hours after polling began, it improved as the day progressed, officials said.
Barring reports about delay in voting due to technical issues at a couple of places, polling in all the five constituencies have been by and large peaceful so far, the officials said.
The by-elections are being seen as a litmus test for the ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition as its outcome is expected to have a bearing on the state's political scenario.
The Congress and the JD(S), who came together in a post-poll alliance after the assembly elections in May threw up a hung House, have decided to face the polls unitedly against the BJP, which they perceive as their common rival.
While the Congress has fielded its candidates in Jamkhandi and Ballari, JD(S) is contesting in Shivamogga, Ramanagara and Mandya under an electoral understanding.
Among the prominent candidates in the fray is Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy's wife Anita Kumaraswamy, who is expected to have a smooth sail as she is facing virtually no-contest in Ramanagara after BJP nominee L Chandrashekhar withdrew from the contest and rejoined the Congress, in a jolt days before the polls.
The BJP had lodged a complaint with the Election Commission about the development in Ramanagara and requested it to "annul" the elections immediately.
In Jamkhandi, Congress candidate Anand Nyamagowda, son of former MLA Siddu Nyamagouda, is pitted against Srikant Kulkarni of the BJP.
State BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa's son BY Raghavendra is testing his fortunes in Shivamogga against another former chief minister S Bangarappa's son Madhu Bangarappa of the JD(S).
Yeddyurappa and his family members were among the early birds to cast their vote at Shikaripura in the constituency.
In Ballari, senior BJP leader Sriramulu's sister J Shantha is contesting against V S Ugrappa of the Congress, considered an outsider.
In the Vokkaliga belt of Mandya, JD(S)'s Shivarame Gowda, is pitted against a fresh face in Dr Siddaramaiah, a retired commercial tax officer from the BJP.
The by-elections have been necessitated after Yeddyurappa (Shivamogga), Sriramalu (Ballari) and C S Puttaraju of JD(S) (Mandya) resigned as MPs on their election to the assembly in May this year.
Bypolls to Jamkhandi assembly seat was caused by the death of Congress MLA Siddu Nyamagouda, while Ramanagara fell vacant after Kumaraswamy gave up the seat preferring to retain Chennapatna, the other constituency from where won.
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Metro ridership in Haryana sees over 13 pc rise in 2025-26
Chandigarh (PTI): Haryana's urban transit system witnessed a strong growth in 2025-26, with metro ridership registering a robust 13.55 per cent increase, the state government said in a statement on Thursday.
The progress was reviewed in the 64th board meeting of Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation (HMRTC) chaired by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi.
Between April 2025 and February 2026, the metro network recorded over 1.74 crore passengers, compared to 1.53 crore in the corresponding period the previous year.
July recorded the highest monthly growth at 22.93 per cent, while all months showed consistent positive trends.
Financial performance has also remained strong, with fare revenue rising 12.64 per cent till January 2026, the statement said.
Non-fare revenue surged by 108 per cent, driven by effective monetisation of station spaces, advertisements and commercial activities, resulting in an operating surplus for Rapid Metro.
Further initiatives, including the auction of station naming rights and additional advertisement sites, are expected to strengthen HMRTC's financial position, the statement said.
Appreciating the performance, Rastogi stated that the consistent rise in ridership and revenue reflects the success of Haryana's integrated transport strategy, rising commuter confidence and a clear shift towards public transport.
HMRTC Managing Director Chander Shekhar Khare said that, alongside operational gains, the state is making steady progress on an ambitious pipeline of metro and regional transit projects.
Metro connectivity from Gurugram Sector 56 to Panchgaon is under active consideration, with Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited studying the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and layout plan, and finalising a depot location in Sector 36A near Sihi village, he said.
The Gurugram-Faridabad Namo Bharat corridor has achieved a key milestone, with alignment and station locations finalised and approved by the Haryana government. The National Capital Region Transport Corporation is preparing the DPR, he added.
Similarly, the Delhi-Kundli metro extension is proposed to be placed before the Haryana Cabinet for approval.
The 136.3-kilometre Delhi-Panipat-Karnal RRTS Corridor has also progressed, with the revised DPR submitted for financial concurrence ahead of Haryana Cabinet consideration.
Within Gurugram, DPR preparation has been approved for key intra-city corridors, including the 17.09-kilometre Bhondsi-Subhash Chowk-Rajeev Chowk-Sohna Chowk Railway Station corridor, enhancing connectivity along Sohna Road, Khare said.
