Karnataka assembly polls sees voter turnout of 72.67 per cent
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka recorded a voter turnout of 72.67 per cent in the Assembly elections, which is slightly above the previous polls in 2018.
Several pollsters have predicted that the Congress may have an edge in Karnataka, which is BJP's southern citadel, in a hung assembly with a couple of them even projecting that the grand old party may get a majority on its own.
According to an Election Commission release late last night, the voter turnout stood at 72.67 per cent, excluding the postal ballots and home voting.
Chikkaballapur district registered the highest voter turnout at 85.83 percent followed by Ramanagaram at 84.98 per cent, it said.
Counting of votes for the 224-member Assembly for which elections were held on Wednesday, will be taken up on May 13.
"Largely peaceful voting in all 224 Assembly constituencies in Karnataka, and no repoll indicated in any of the 58,545 polling stations," the Election Commission(EC) said on Wednesday.
Karnataka recorded 72.44 per cent voter turnout in the 2018 Assembly polls which had thrown up a hung assembly with the BJP emerging as the single largest party with 104 seats, falling slightly short of getting a majority.
While the BJP, riding on the Modi juggernaut, is looking to break a 38-year-old poll jinx where the state has never voted the incumbent party to power, the Congress is hoping for a morale booster victory to give it a much-needed elbow room and momentum to position itself as the main opposition player in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
It also remains to be seen whether former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) will emerge as a "kingmaker" or a "king" by holding the key to government formation, in the event of a hung verdict, as it has done in the past. The Aam Aadmi Party(AAP), which is in power in Punjab and Delhi, has also fielded candidates.
To draw people to exercise their voting rights, the EC had taken many initiatives such as theme based and ethnic polling booths, and pink booths exclusively operated by women.
Theme-based and ethnic polling booths -- 737 in all across the State -- added a lot of colour to the exercise.
The battle-ready BJP with its well-oiled election machine ran its campaign with a blitzkrieg by Prime Minister Modi.
The Congress manifesto proposing to ban the Bajrang Dal heated up the later half of the campaign as the BJP and Prime Minister Modi aggressively latched on to the issue to portray the grand old party as being against Lord Hanuman and the sentiments of Hindus.
Barbs like 'venomous snake', 'Vishakanya' and 'Nalayak beta' vitiated the poll campaign as some leaders used intemperate and abusive language.
While Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who hails from Karnataka, likened Modi to a 'venomous snake' and his son and Congress candidate Priyank Kharge called the prime minister a "nalayak beta", BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal described former Congress president and MP Sonia Gandhi as a 'Vishakanya' (venomous woman).
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Bhatkal: Are BJP leaders ‘Unidentified’? FIR skips notable protestors, names only foot soldiers
Two FIRs registered in Sangh Parivar’s protests against SP M Narayan
Bhatkal, April 12: In a development that has sparked serious questions about fairness and transparency in law enforcement, two FIRs registered at the Bhatkal Town Police Station in connection with the recent Sangh Parivar-led protests have conspicuously excluded the names of prominent BJP and Hindutva leaders who were very much present and leading the demonstrations.
On April 8 and 9, members of various right-wing groups staged aggressive protests in Bhatkal—first by blocking the National Highway 66 and later by gathering in front of the police station—after reports surfaced alleging that Uttara Kannada Superintendent of Police (SP) M. Narayan had manhandled Sangh activist Srinivas Naik during a rowdy-sheeter parade in Sirsi.
However, what stands out in the FIRs is not who is named—but who isn’t.
Despite photographic and video evidence clearly showing the presence of several senior leaders—including former Bhatkal MLA and BJP face Sunil Naik, former Bhatkal BJP President Govinda Naik, and known Hindutva leader Srikanth—the police have failed to mention their names. Instead, the FIRs include a list of lesser-known workers and dozens of conveniently labeled “unidentified individuals.”
This raises a very serious question: When top BJP and Sangh Parivar leaders are visibly leading the protest, how can they be passed off as ‘unidentified’?
Are the police, under pressure or willingly, shielding political figures with influence and clout? Are the law enforcement officers deliberately omitting the names of powerful individuals to avoid backlash or political consequences?
According to the FIR registered by PSI Naveen S. Naik, 11 names have been mentioned—none of whom are leading figures. The second FIR, filed by PSI Timmappa Bedumane, carries a similar pattern. Known leaders who are seen raising slogans and standing at the front lines of the protest are nowhere in the official records. Yet, the police have written off at least 60 protesters across both FIRs as “unidentified.”
When the police claim that they are scrutinizing CCTV footage and videos to identify protestors, one must ask—how do they manage to skip over the most visible faces leading the protest? These individuals are no strangers. They are seasoned politicians and activists who frequently appear in public forums and media.
Is this selective amnesia or selective protection?
At a time when the police are expected to act impartially and uphold the rule of law, such omissions dent public trust and raise doubts about the neutrality of those entrusted with enforcing the law.
Justice cannot and should not be divided between the powerful and the powerless. If FIRs can be drawn up against common workers, then the leaders guiding them must also be held accountable. The law must not just act—it must be seen to be acting without fear or favour.
If prominent faces are still being labeled as “unidentified,” then it is not just a failure of policing—it is a failure of honesty.
