Mangaluru : Voting has begun in Dakshina Kannada at 1858 polling booths by 7 a.m and will be held till 6 p.m. on Saturday May 12.

The voter turnout in the Karnataka Assembly elections By 9.30 am, Mangaluru South saw a voter turnout of 4 percent, Mangaluru North 11%, Mangaluru (Ullal) 14%, Bantwal 9%, Beltangady 16%, Moodbidri 10.76%, Puttur 13 percent and Sullia 16%.

Voters seen queued up in front of their respective polling booths in large numbers. BJP candidate Vedavyas Kamath and MP Nalin Kumar Kateel voted at Gandhinagar polling booth in Urwa.

Mangaluru South Congress candidate J R Lobo cast his vote at St Sebastian schooll, Bendore, while independent candidate Srikar Prabhu cast his vote at Ganapathi high school, Hampankatta.

MLA and Congress candidate U T Khader cast his vote at Boliyar government primary school, while his opponent Santosh Rai Boliyar from BJP voted at Panela higher primary school.

Prohibitory orders under section 14 have been continued 10 to 6 pm on May 12 all over the district.