Mangaluru :  Dakshina Kannada recorded 75.87 percent, while Udupi district registered 78.46 percent percent voting on May 10 Assembly polls.

Out of the eight constituencies, Beltangady recorded 80.33%, Moodbidiri 76%, Mangaluru North 71.6%, Mangaluru South 64.89%, Mangaluru 77.38%, Bantwal 80.27%, Puttur 79.91% and Sullia 78.53%. In Udupi district Byndoor recorded 77.84%, Kundapur 78.94%, Udupi 75.87%, Kaup 78.79%, and Karkala 81.30% voting.

In the previous Karnataka polls in 2018, the voter turnout was 72.36%. The outgoing Assembly had 116 MLAs from the BJP, 69 from the Congress, and 29 from the JD(S).

Voting concluded in around 60,000 polling stations across the state at 6 pm. Final figures are likely to be higher as this is excluding the postal ballots and those who voted from home. For the first time, around 76,000 super-senior citizens (above 80 years) and 18,800 PwD voters in the state availed of the ’vote from home’ facility provided by the commission.

Congress and JD(S) workers have made allegations against each other accusing of distributing money to lure voters of Mangalore City North constituency on Tuesday late night. Commissioner of Police Kuldeep Kumar R Jain said that Congress and JD(S) workers at Gurpura and Kunjathbail levelled allegations on each over distribution of money. The workers from both the political parties had even allegedly pushed each other. A team of police personnel rushed to the spot and checked the vehicles. No cash was found. Two separate cases have been registered at Kavoor and Bajpe police station.

The state BJP Chief, Nalin Kumar Kateel, exercised his franchise at St Aloysius English Medium Higher Primary School in Urwa, Mangaluru.

A bride in Kapu constituency in Udupi District performed her civic duty and also set an example to eligible voters on Wednesday by casting her vote on the way to her wedding. Melita Soras came to the Avaralu Mattu polling booth in Palimaru Gram Panchayat on Wednesday morning to cast her vote.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar has appealed to voters to actively participate in this “festival of democracy” and defy the prevailing trend of urban apathy in the state, especially urging the young and urban voters to exercise their franchise in large numbers.