Polling yet to pick up in Karnataka, 10 pc reported

Bangalore, May 22 (UNI) About 10 per cent polling has been reported in the first three hours of the third and final phase of polling which began at 0700 hrs amidst tight security for 69 Karnataka Assembly seats in over 12,389 booths across eight districts of North Karnataka today.

There are over 1,17,62,784, including 57,61,457 women voters who will be deciding the election fortunes of 699 candidates by 1700hrs.

Former chief minister N Dharam Singh (Jewargi), Pradesh Congress Committee President Mallikarjun Kharge (Chithapur),former Opposition leader in the Legislative Council H K Patil (Gadag), former Ministers Jagadish Shettar (Hubli), Jarkiholi brothers (Belgaum) were among those who cast their votes in the first hours of the polling.

While enthusiastic voters were seen standing in queues in front of the polling booths in Belgaum district, in Gulbarga, Bidar, Bagalkote it is yet to pickup the momentum.

In Gulbarga, where the mercury was above 42 degree Celsius for the last four days, the weather has cooled down with summer rain lashing the district last night and polling was expected to pick up during the afternoon.

Police said no untoward incident reported from anywhere. About 56,000 security personnel, including 225 companies of para military forces, were deployed to maintain law and order during polling.

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