Karnataka elections: With 54.53% of voting, Bengalureans disappoint again

Bengaluru has registered a voter turnout of 54.53 per cent in the Karnataka Assembly polls held across the state on Wednesday.

At 63.75 per cent, Yeshwanthapura has registered the highest voting percentage among the 28 constituencies in Bengaluru (rural and urban). It is followed by Anekal (61.97 per cent), Yelahanka (60.59 per cent), Chickpet (57.74 per cent) and Padmanabanagar (57.22 per cent), according to the Election Commission data.

At 46.96 per cent, CV Raman Nagar recorded the lowest voter turnout in the 28 Assembly seats in Bengaluru. It is followed by Bommanahalli (47.35 per cent), BTM Layout (48.23 per cent), Vijayanagar (48.72 per cent) and Dasarahalli (49.47 per cent).

The overall voting percentage in Bengaluru is much lesser compared to the voting percentage of Karnataka where the state has recorded about 70 per cent.

In the 2018 Assembly polls, the total voter turnout in Bengaluru was 55 per cent. However, it was 62.03 per cent in 2013.

In an attempt to prevent urbanites from going on weekend trips, the Election Commission held the polling on a weekday. Yet Bengaluru has failed to give an overwhelming response by taking part in the festival of democracy. However, the election was largely peaceful.

The state has 5.21 crore registered voters. This time, there were 2,615 candidates in the fray.

Expressing his disappointment over the low turnout of voters, Infosys co-founder N Narayana Murthy said that citizens should not expect 100 per cent from the government if they cannot take out time for voting.

"If we do not spend 0.1-0.2 per cent of our time to come here and stand in the queue to vote, how can we expect others to spend 100 per cent of their time towards the progress and development of Karnataka? First, we have to fulfil our obligation, and that gives us the right to sit down, discuss and debate issues," Murthy said in a statement to PTI.

Meanwhile, most poll surveys have predicted a hung assembly in the Karnataka elections.