Bengaluru’s Jayanagar Records 51% Voter Turnout Till 5 PM

Following the withdrawal of JD(S) candidate, the tussle for the seat comes down to the Congress and the BJP.

Polling underway in Bengaluru’s Jayanagar constituency. 

(Photo: ANI)

Bengaluru’s Jayanagar recorded a 51 percent voter turnout till 5 pm on Monday, 11 June, reported ANI. Polling is currently underway after state Assembly elections were deferred in the constituency due to the demise of BJP’s candidate BN Vijay Kumar on 4 May, just days before elections were held in Karnataka.

The casting of votes is expected to go on till 6 pm across 216 polling booths in the constituency, reported The News Minute.

Following the withdrawal of Janata Dal-Secular (JD(S)) candidate Kalegowda, the tussle for the seat comes down to the Congress and the BJP.

While the BJP has fielded BN Prahalad, brother of Vijay Kumar, Congress’ Sowmya Reddy, daughter of former home minister Mr Ramalinga Reddy, will fight the seat for the party.

Visuals from polling booth in Jayanagar.

Visuals from polling booth in Jayanagar.

The results will be declared on Wednesday, 13 June.

The Congress now has a total of 78 seats in the Karnataka Assembly, after winning the RR Nagar seat on 31 May.

A total of 19 candidates are contesting the Jayanagar polls, with 3,12,252 registered voters in the constituency.

After a high voltage and action-packed election, the Congress and the JD(S) coalition formed the government in Karnataka, with HD Kumaraswamy taking oath as the state’s chief minister.

Of the 25 ministers, 14 portfolios have been allocated to the Congress and 9 to the JD-(S) and one ministry each to Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Karnataka Pragnyavanta Janata Paksha (KPJP), which are allies of both the coalition partners.

Jarkiholi Eyes Ministerial Berth for His Men

AICC Secretary Satish Jarkiholi, who is peeved over not being made a minister, on 11 June said he would not accept any offer from his party leaders, but would fight for ministerial berths for able loyal Congress leaders, reported PTI.

I will not accept any offer. I will work for the party as a legislator. I do not have a single-point programme of becoming a minister. Even in the past, I have worked, not in the garb of a minister.

Jarkiholi told PTI

The Karnataka cabinet expansion left some Congress and JD(S) MLAs upset for not having clinched a berth.

Jarkiholi, who was a ministerial aspirant but was deprived of a slot, also said he would not quit the party.

"I will not quit the party, but will fight from within. I want our men, who are able Congress leaders loyal to the party for many years, to get ministerial berths," he said.

Asked why he shouldn't be getting a ministerial berth after working for former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's electoral victory in Badami, Jarkiholi said, "That is correct, but nothing can be done about it. Party is not interested, so what we can do." The statement comes after state leader M B Patil, another disgruntled MLA, held inconclusive talks with Congress President Rahul Gandhi on the issue in New Delhi on Saturday.

After the meeting, Patil had said he had no plans to quit Congress and was not keen on accepting KPCC President's post.

Patil, who had campaigned for a minority status for Lingayats, is a prominent state Congress leader.

Under his leadership, a section of dissatisfied legislators have held several meetings last week.

(With inputs from The News Minute and ANI, PTI)