59.84 % polling in Phase I K'taka Assembly polls

Bangalore, May 10 (UNI) An average 59.84 per cent polling was recorded in the first phase of elections to the Karnataka Assembly for 89 seats in 11 districts, which went off peacefully today.

Bangalore Rural District recorded the highest percentage of polling with 72.5 per cent, while the BBMP Area, which has 21 seats, recorded the lowest with 44 per cent, Karnataka Chief Electoral officer M N Vidyashankar told mediapersons this evening.

After Bangalore Rural District, Ramnagaram District recorded 70 per cent polling followed by Chickballapur (68), Hassan (68), Mandya (68), Chamarajanagar (65), Kolar (64), Tumkur (63), Kodagu (60), Bangalore Urban (55), Mysore (54) and BBMP (Bangalore Urban District) (44).

He said the polling was by and large peaceful throughout.

The polling, which began at a low rate in the morning, picked up in the noon and was brisk for two hours before closure at 1700 hrs.

DGP Sri Kumar told UNI that the polling was incident free barring minor scuffle between rival party workers in Anekal. However, the situation was brought under control by the police.

Protests were reported at several booths as voters' names were missing from the list.

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