With the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka ending, its curtains down to a period of high-decibel campaigns and war of words, some of which, at times, went on to become physical.
Vedic Student voters cast their votes at National College Basavanagudi, in Bengaluru South Loka Sabha Consistency. | Photo Credit: MURALI KUMAR K
If Congress anchored its campaign on the five guarantees and the Centre’s ‘injustice’ to the state which is going though one of its worst droughts, BJP mostly stuck to its ‘Modi development’ card and Hindutva rhetoric.
Voters turned up in good numbers to exercise their votes early in the morning. A view of the long queues at a polling station in Bhavani Nagar of Hubballi on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: KIRAN BAKALE
The murder of Neha Hiremath in Hubballi by her former classmate Fayaz Khondunaik almost a week before the first phase of elections set off a political storm in the region. BJP wasted no time in alleging ‘love jihad’.
Eighty-five-year-old Ningamma showing inked finger after casting her vote at Satnur, in Bengaluru Rural Lok Sabha constituency. | Photo Credit: K BHAGYA PRAKASH
The alleged sexual exploitation case involving Prajwal Revanna, the sitting JD(S) MP as well as candidate from Hassan, however, put BJP on the backfoot. This was the first time that BJP and JDS went to the polls in a formal alliance.
Women standing in queue at a polling station to vote in Belagavi Lok Sabha constituency. | Photo Credit: BADIGER PK
It was also an election season that saw fault lines forming in the BJP-Lingayat equations with some veteran leaders and seers from the community revolting against the candidature of Prahlad Joshi in Dharwad constituency.
A security personnel stands guard as voters queue to cast their ballot outside a polling station during the second phase of voting of India’s general election in Bengaluru on April 26. | Photo Credit: IDREES MOHAMMED
There were also instances of villages boycotting the elections to register their protest against administrations that have been ‘deaf’ to their grievances.
Despite voter awareness drives by various governmental bodies, civic organisations and individuals, the first phase of elections saw a lower voter turnout of 63.9%.
Supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cheer during a roadshow by India’s Home Minister and leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Amit Shah in Bengaluru on April 23, 2024, ahead of the second phase of voting of India’s general election. | Photo Credit: IDREES MOHAMMED
Bengaluru’s apathy towards voting continued this election season too with almost half of the voter population staying away from getting inked. While the voting numbers in the urban region remained low, there seemed to be more enthusiasm in Bangalore Rural which recorded a relatively higher turnout of approximately 67%.
Bengaluru: Congress supporters during an election rally of party leader Priyanka Gandhi for Lok Sabha elections, in Bengaluru, Tuesday.
In the second phase, however, voters in the Kalyana-Karnataka and Bombay-Karnataka regions braved the scorching sun to record a relatively higher percentage. At 70.41%, the recorded turnout was, in fact, higher than what was recorded in the 14 seats in the previous Lok Sabha elections.
The state will now wait for nearly a month to know whom its people have favoured.
Voters show their ink-marked fingers after casting their votes for the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024, on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: ANI
