Bangalore: Around 60 per cent of over one million voters on Tuesday exercised their franchise in five assembly by-elections in Karnataka, whose outcome will impact the standing of central minister Mallikarjun Kharge, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and his predecessor.
Voting was poor in Govindarajnagar in west Bangalore at about 45 per cent compared to polling in the other four constituencies, according to official figures from the state election office.
State Religious Endowment Minister V. Somanna is contesting Govindarajnagar as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate after defecting from the Congress.
It is a direct fight between him and Congress nominee Priya Krishna, son of party legislator M. Krishnappa.
Priya Krishna, contesting the polls for the first time, has declared assets worth Rs.770 crore. His father is a realtor and popularly known as 'layout Krishnappa'.
The Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) led by former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda is backing Priya Krishna as nomination of its candidate was rejected.
Chittapur, where Kharge has fielded his son Priyank Kharge, registered 60 per cent polling. The junior Kharge is contesting the polls for the first time. Chittapur is in Gulbarga in north Karnataka, about 600 km from here, and is a constituency reserved for Scheduled Castes.
The voting in other constituencies was 69 per cent in Ramanagara, 50 km from Bangalore, 70 per cent in Channapatna, 60 km away, and 62 per cent in Kollegal in Chamarajnagar district, 120 km from here.
"The polling was peaceful in all the five constituencies," Chief Electoral Officer C.S. Suranjana told reporters.
Except in Govindarajnagar, it is a three-cornered contest among the Congress, BJP and JD-S.
Mallikarjun Kharge had won from Chittapur in the May 2008 assembly polls and vacated the seat on his election to the Lok Sabha in the general elections April-May this year.
For Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa ensuring victory of the BJP candidates fighting from Govindrajnagar and Channapatna has become a prestige issue as they have defected from the Congress and have been given BJP tickets.
Somanna, contesting from Govindrajnagar, was rewarded with ministership for resigning the seat he won on a Congress ticket in the 2008 polls to join the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
C.P. Yogeshwar, a film actor and a realtor, vacated the Channapatna assembly seat he won as a Congress candidate to join the BJP and contest the Lok Sabha poll from Ramanagara against Yeddyurappa's predecessor HD Kumaraswamy of the Janata Dal-Secular. Yogeshwar lost and is seeking election to the assembly again.
Ensuring the JD-S candidate's victory in Ramanagara has become imperative for Kumaraswamy, who quit the seat to enter the Lok Sabha. The constituency is considered a JD-S stronghold.
While the Ramanagara assembly seat was held by the JD-S, the other four were with the Congress. The BJP is trying to get a foothold in these opposition strongholds.
Counting will be held on Aug 21.
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