Shivamogga: 11.45% voter turnout recorded by 9 AM
Shivamogga: Voting for the Shivamogga Lok Sabha election commenced today with an enthusiastic response from voters braving the early morning sun to exercise their democratic rights.
As the clock struck 7, polling stations witnessed a surge in voter turnout, due to the desire of citizens to cast their votes before the heat intensified.
According to the Election Commission's data, the Shivamogga Lok Sabha constituency recorded a voter turnout of 11.45% by 9 AM. Out of the total 17,52,885 eligible voters, 2,00,745 votes had been cast by this hour.
Byndur recorded 13.66%, Sagar 12.66%, Soraba 9.76%, Theerthahalli 11.87%, Bhadravati 10.37%, and Shikaripura 9.28%.
Prominent figures, including former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa, MP Raghavendra, and BJP State President Vijendra, exercised their rights at the polling station in Shikaripura. Minister Madhu Bangarappa cast his vote at the Kubaturu Government School polling station.
Independent candidate KS Eshwarappa also participated in the electoral process, casting his vote at Government East College, Science Maidan.
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Congress using hijab issue to pacify minority anger, alleges Karnataka LoP R Ashoka
Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.
Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.
He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.
Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.
He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.
Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.
He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.
