Bengaluru: Improving the quality and supply of water in the state is one of the most important issues for voters in poll-bound Karnataka, a survey released on Saturday said.

The Karnataka Voter Survey 2018 that was released by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Om Prakash Rawat here stressed this point.

Several districts of Karnataka have been facing water crisis, with the state's north-western drought-prone districts of Bagalkot, Belagavi, Dharwad and Gadag lacking water even for drinking needs.

Better electricity supply, improved roads and environment protection were among the other most important issues for voters in the urban areas.

Voters in rural parts, meanwhile, stressed more on better schools, roads and an increase in the number of public health centres.

The most important factor for the electors to cast their vote was found to be the candidate, followed by the party and then the party's Chief Ministerial candidate.

About 42 per cent of the voters surveyed said they would vote for a particular political party based on their Chief Ministerial candidate, with 67 per cent of the total number of people surveyed agreeing that the candidate's party was a reason to cast vote for him/her.

According to the report, nearly 36 per cent of the voters considered the candidate's religion and caste important.

The survey's urban participants believed that the current government performed poorly on the issues of improving public facilities, eradicating corruption and job training.

Only 31 per cent of the people surveyed were happy with the state government's much-touted Indira Canteens, which provide food for the poor at subsidised rates.

About 79 per cent of the people had reported that they were happy with the state government's subsidised food scheme, "Anna Bhagya".

The Congress-led state government was given a score of 7.09 on 10 for its overall performance in the five years since 2013, as per the survey.

"The voters' perceptions highlight the need for awareness on the criminal, financial and other background of the candidates as well as transparency and accountability of political parties. Only then can a voter make an informed choice," asserted the survey.

Issues related to terrorism were among the least of the priorities for urban participants, the survey noted.

The survey was conducted by the New Delhi-based Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), an organisation working for electoral reforms, and Daksh, a Bengaluru-based civil society body.

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Bengaluru, Dec 25: Three people were arrested for throwing an egg at BJP MLA Munirathna during an event here on Wednesday, police said.

The MLA was participating in an event to mark the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Nandini Layout in the city when miscreants threw an egg at him, a police officer said.

The MLA accused Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, his brother and former MP D K Suresh, and their confidantes of "orchestrating" the attack.

"This was an attempt to kill me. Nearly 150 people were brought in to finish me. I would have been killed if my supporters and policemen were not present. D K Shivakumar, D K Suresh, Hanumantharayappa, and some others were involved," Munirathna alleged.

Shivakumar, who was in Belagavi, rejected the allegation, saying he was busy preparing for the centenary celebrations of the 1924 Indian National Congress session, which was presided over by Mahatma Gandhi.

Suresh also dismissed the charge, claiming that Munirathna was "threatening" Congress workers in his area.

He alleged that the MLA had staged the attack to divert public attention from the issue.

Karnataka Home Minister Parameshwara confirmed the arrests. "Three people have been arrested. The investigation is ongoing to identify who they are and why they did it," he told reporters.

BJP state president B Y Vijayendra condemned the attack.

"Such an attack is not just an insult to Munirathna, but the entire state. Just because you (Congress) are in power, you are attacking people. An attack on a public representative is highly condemnable," Vijayendra told reporters.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and former Minister C T Ravi also condemned the incident.

Munirathna, who is facing several police cases, including a rape case, was recently released on bail.

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