Modi urges people of Karnataka to 'vote in large numbers', 'enrich festival of democracy'

Calling upon the youth to 'enrich festival of democracy', Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (May 12) urged the people of Karnataka to vote in large numbers.

Urging my sisters and brothers of Karnataka to vote in large numbers today. I would particularly like to call upon young voters to vote and enrich this festival of democracy with their participation.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 12, 2018

Polling for the high-stakes Karnataka assembly elections got underway this morning under a thick security blanket. In what is projected as a tight race, voting is being held in 222 out of 224 seats in a three-cornered contest among the ruling Congress, the BJP and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda's JD(S).

The Election Commission yesterday deferred the polls for the Rajarajeswari Nagar constituency to May 28 after a massive row erupted over a large number of voter ID cards being found in an apartment.

Election for the Jayanagara seat in Bengaluru was countermanded following the death of BJP candidate and sitting MLA B N Vijaykumar.

Over 2,600 candidates are in the fray-- more than 2400 men and and over 200 women. The total voters including service electors according to the 2018 final rolls are 5,06,90,538, of whom 2,56,75,579 male voters, 2,50,09,904 female and 5,055 transgender voters.

Officials said 58,008 polling stations have been set up across the state, of which 12002 have been designated as "critical", with over 3,50,000 polling personnel on duty. Police have made elaborate security arrangements for the smooth conduct of polls that will go on till 6 pm. Counting of votes will take place on May 15.

For the first time in Karnataka, one all women-managed polling station (Sakhi) has been set up in all rural assembly constituencies and five in each urban constituency (totalling 600 polling stations).

OneIndia News with PTI inputs