Karnataka Assembly By-elections today; decisive for Yediyurappa government

Karnataka: Voting has started in 15 assembly constituencies in Karnataka for the crucial by-elections that can decide the fate of the BS Yediyurappa government in the state. Polling began at 7 am on Thursday and will end at 6 pm in all the fifteen constituencies. Results for the by-polls are scheduled to be declared on December 9.

The constituencies going to by-polls are Hirekerur, Athani, Mahalakshmi Layout, Vijayanagar, Kagwad, Gokak, Hoskote, Chikballapur, Yellapur, Ranibennur, KR Puram, Yeshwanthpur, Shivajinagar, KR Pet and Hunsur. People have begun to come to the polling booths to cast their votes and were seen waiting in lines.

Voting in 15 assembly constituencies in Karnataka began this morning peacefully. The elections in these 15 seats hold the key to the BS Yediyurappa government that had come to power after defeating the JDS-Congress coalition government. Voting in the Shivaji Nagar Constituency is underway at BBMP PU College and High School, Tasker Town. Arun Kumar Guttur, the BJP candidate contesting from Ranebennur Assembly constituency, cast his vote at a polling station at Kodiyala Hospet in Ranebennur this morning.

The disqualification of 17 rebel Congress and JD(S) MLAs, led to the collapse of the HD Kumaraswamy-led coalition government in July. It then made a way for the BJP to come to power, necessitating a by-election. The BJP needs to win at least six of the 15 seats to remain in the majority in the 225-member assembly. Even after that, the assembly would still have two vacant seats -- from Maski and R R Nagar constituencies.

Out 15 constituencies going to the by-polls, 12 were held by the Congress and three by the JD(S).

The BJP has fielded 13 of the 16 disqualified legislators who had joined the party, as its candidates from their respective constituencies. Previously, the same leaders had won in the 2018 assembly elections while they were a part of Congress and JD(S) parties.

884 polling stations have been marked critical and 414 stations will be manned by CAPF, as per polling officials. The by-polls were earlier slated for October 21, but the EC had deferred them to December 5 after the apex court decided to hear the petitions of the disqualified MLAs.