Karnataka Elections 2023 Live Updates: Voting For 224 Assembly Seats Ends, Counting On May 13

Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023 saw a voter turnout of 68.19% up to 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

Transgender voters cast their vote. (Source: Election Commission of India)

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Voter Turnout In Karnataka At 68.19%

Voting percentage stood at 68.19% after 11 hours of polling in Karnataka, according to Election Commission of India.

Voting Ends In Karnataka, Exit Polls To Be Announced Soon 

Polling for Karnataka Assembly elections came to an end at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Voting was mostly peaceful, except for violent incidents being reported at three places.

Counting of votes will take place on May 13. Exit polls for the elections are expected to be announced soon.

Voter Turnout At 65.69% By 5 PM

Voting percentage in Karnataka climbed up to 65.69% by 5:00 p.m. as polls entered their last leg.

Voting Enters Last Hour In Karnataka

Voting for the Assembly elections in Karnataka will continue for another hour.

Apart from violent incidents at three places, polling has been mostly peaceful in the state.

Voter Turnout At 52.18% Up To 3:00 P.M.

The voter turnout of Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023 stood at 52.18% up to 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

Violent Incidents Reported In At Least 3 Places

Violent incidents were reported from at least three places during polling to the Karnataka Assembly elections on Wednesday, PTI reported citing police sources.

At Masabinal village in Basavana Bagewadi taluk of Vijayapura district, several angry villagers destroyed some electronic voting machines, VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) machines and damaged the vehicles of polling officers, after 'rumours' that the officials were 'changing' the EVMs and VVPATs.

In Padmanabhanagar constituency in Bengaluru, some youth armed with sticks attacked their political rivals in a polling booth at Papaiah Garden. They went on a rampage in which a few women who were standing in queue to vote sustained injuries, the sources told PTI.

JD(S) Chief And Former Prime Minister HD Devegowda Casts Vote

Voter Turnout At 37.25% Up To 1:00 P.M.

Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023 saw a voter turnout of 37.25% up to 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

Voter Turnout At 20.99% Up To 11:00 A.M.

Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023 witnessed a voter turnout of 20.99% up to 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai Exudes Confidence On BJP Win

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, on Wednesday, expressed confidence in the BJP returning to power with an outright majority, PTI reported.

Speaking to reporters here after casting his vote at a government school in Haveri district, Bommai, who is seeking re-election from Shiggaon segment for a fourth consecutive term, said he would win with a record margin.

In a tweet, Bommai requested people to vote without mistake.

(Translation of the tweet: Today, I participated in the festival of democracy in my hometown Shiggaonviya government school and cast my vote along with my family members. I hereby request everyone to vote without mistake. 1/2)

Voter Turnout At 8.26% Up To 9:00 A.M.

Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023 witnessed a voter turnout of 8.26% up to 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday.

Former Chief Minister Of Karnataka B S Yediyurappa Casts Vote

BJP stalwart Yediyurappa, along with sons -- party candidate B Y Vijayendra and Shivamogga MP B Y Raghavendra -- other family members, visited a temple in the morning and later voted at Shikaripura in Shivamogga district, PTI reported.

"Based on the developmental works of (PM) Modi and (Basavaraj) Bommai government and my travel across the state I'm saying that we will win 125-130 seats and form the government on our own, and Vijayendra will win in Shikaripura by a margin of over 40,000 votes," Yediyurappa said after voting.

Former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa. (standing fourth from left)

(Source: BJP)

Former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa. (standing fourth from left)

(Source: BJP)

Ministers, Industrialists Cast Their Vote

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, former chief minister B S Yediyurappa, IT industry veteran N R Narayana Murthy along with wife Sudha Murty, and Mysuru royal family member 'Rajamate' Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, were among the early voters who cast their ballot in the Karnataka Assembly polls on Wednesday.

Electronics And IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar Queues Outside Polling Booth In Bengaluru To Cast Vote

A Recap Of Last Five Assembly Elections In Karnataka

Congress' Rahul Gandhi Urges Voters To Participate In Large Numbers

Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi, on Wednesday, urged the people of Karnataka to vote in large numbers to build a progressive and a "40-per cent-commission-free" state.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Arrives At Polling Booth To Cast Vote

Karnataka Decided To Choose Progressive, Transparent, Welfare-Oriented Government, Congress President Says 

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, on Wednesday, said the people of Karnataka have decided to choose a progressive, transparent and welfare-oriented government.

Kharge urged the people to vote in large numbers in the election.

PM Narendra Modi Urges Young, First Time Voters To Vote In Large Numbers

Voting For 224 Assembly Seats Begin

Voting is underway for all 224 Assembly seats in Karnataka on Wednesday after days of high voltage campaigning by political bigwigs. More than 5.31 crore voters will cast their votes to elect their representatives for the state Assembly out of 2,615 candidates contesting the polls.

Voting began from 7:00 a.m. and will continue till 6:00 p.m. Security arrangements have been tightened across Karnataka, with 1.56 lakh personnel being deployed to ensure peaceful elections.

Also Read: Karnataka Elections 2023: Stage Set For High-Stakes Polls

Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) are engaged in a three-way battle for the southern state. The saffron party is eager to win back power in Karnataka, whereas Congress is looking for a victory ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

While all parties are hoping to reach the Assembly with a majority, HD Deve Gowda's JD(S) will be in focus in the event of a hung verdict. In the 224-seat Karnataka Assembly, the majority mark is 113 seats.

Also Read: Karnataka Elections 2023 In Numbers

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WRITTEN BY
Swastika Mukhopadhyay
Swastika Mukhopadhyay is a desk writer at BQ Prime, who covers markets and ... more
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