LIVE Updates | Karnataka Assembly Polls: Voting Ends, 65.59% Recorded Till 5 Pm

Karnataka Assembly Elections Voting 2023: Both the ruling BJP and Opposition Congress are hopeful of their victory in the high-stakes assembly polls in Karnataka. JDS, however, remains hopeful of playing the role of 'kingmaker' after the results are announced on Saturday.

NEW DELHI/ BENGALURU: Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar has dismissed a post-poll alliance with Janata Dal (Secular) expressing confidence that his party will get an absolute majority in the 224-seat assembly. Earlier, ex-Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah said that this will be his last election. Congress president Malliakurjun Kharge too claimed that his party will get around 130-135 seats in the keenly contested Karnataka Assembly Elections. According to the latest Election Commission figures, around 37.25% voter turnout has been recorded till 1 PM in Karnataka where polling is underway since morning amid tight security.

Riding high on the ''Modi wave'', the ruling BJP is confident of getting an absolute majority in the 224-member Karnataka assembly. JDS, however, remains hopeful of playing the role of 'kingmaker' after the results are announced on Saturday. 

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, top Karnataka Ministers including CM Basavaraj Bommai, state's Home Minister CN Ashwath Narayan, K Sudhakar, Infosys founder Narayana Murthy and actors Prakash Raj and Amulya were among those who cast their votes shortly after the polling began in Karnataka.

PM Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and others earlier appealed to voters to vote in large numbers in Karnataka and celebrate the ''festival of democracy.'' Polling across 224 assembly constituencies began at 7 AM and will continue at 6 PM. The counting of votes will take place on May 13. The majority mark to form the government is 113 seats.   

In the outgoing 224-member Assembly, the BJP has 116 MLAs, Congress 69, JD(S) 29, BSP one, Independents two, Speaker one and vacant six. The high-octane assembly election campaign was marked by a plummeting level of public discourse and grew increasingly shrill over the Bajrang Dal issue. The state saw top political leaders, including PM Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi among others campaigning hard to lure voters ahead of the voting in the poll-bound state. 

Stay tuned for live updates on Karnataka Assembly elections 2023: -

10 May 2023

18:03 IST

Karnataka Assembly Polls 2023 Live:  Ex-PM Deve Gowda arrives in chopper to cast vote

Former Prime Minister and veteran Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) leader H.D. Deve Gowda landed aboard a helicopter on Wednesday in Paduvalahippe village near Holenarasipur town in Karnataka's Hassan district to vote.

17:44 IST

Karnataka Polls 2023 Live: Javagal Srinath casts his vote

Javagal Srinath, the election ambassador for the Mysuru district in these elections, urged people to come out and vote, saying it would be good for the country's democracy.