Karnataka Lok Sabha elections 2024 | Polling begins in 14 constituencies in Karnataka for Phase 2

All is set for the 18th Lok Sabha elections with 1,876 polling stations in Dakshina Kannada and 1,842 booths in Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituencies going to the polls on Friday, April 26.

The polling will be held from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Nine candidates are in the fray in Dakshina Kannada, and 10 candidates are contesting in Udupi-Chikkamagaluru with both the constituencies witnessing a direct fight between the Congress and the BJP.

On the eve of polling for the Lok Sabha elections, bus stands in Bengaluru were filled with people wanting to go to their home towns to cast their vote in the districts which go to the polls on Friday. While the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) operated buses on demand, private operators deployed hundreds of extra buses, especially to Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts. 

“We have reservation only for buses that go to Mangaluru. As the election is happening in two phases, we have not particularly deployed extra buses. The demand is only for places in South Karnataka, excluding Shivamogga and Davangere. Hence, buses will be running as per demand,” said a senior official from the KSRTC. Some BMTC buses have also been deployed for the movement of election officials.

Dakshina Kannada and Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituencies, which go to the 18th Lok Sabha polls on Friday, April 26, have remained free from dynasty politics since they came into being.

None of the family members of former four-time Members of Parliament from Dakshina Kannada B. Janardhana Poojary (Congress) and V. Dhananjaya Kumar (now no more) of BJP and three-time Member of Parliament Nalin Kumar Kateel (BJP) ventured into politics to face the Lok Sabha elections in the constituency following their absence in the election battle.

Kanasageri is a small village with an enchanting name that translates to “lane of dreams.” It lies within a few kilometres of the Kadabagatti hills in Gokak in Belagavi district that are famous for the sandalwood forest raised by the Forest Department. It is a new moon night and dark all around as there is no power supply. Most people are sleeping in their courtyards to beat the heat. 

“We are used to this,” says Beerappa Tavag, an octogenarian sheep rearer. Children walk to Urubinahatti village for a school, while the young climb up the hill to go to colleges in Gokak.

The District Election Office (DEO) in Bengaluru Urban has carried out several activities to boost voter turnout in the three Lok Sabha constituencies which have traditionally recorded average voting percentages. The election office devised macro- and micro-level SVEEP (Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation) activities to influence voters to come out in large numbers, on Friday.

The DEO has directed companies to sanction leave to voters on the polling day, failing which action will be initiated. The Labour Department has been instructed to shut down offices working on Friday. Hoteliers have also been asked to allow workers to exercise their franchise.

The Congress’ victory in the 2023 Assembly election in Karnataka was a difficult pill for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to swallow, especially since the grand old party had secured its biggest vote share in 34 years. Then the Congress decided to implement its five guarantees: free bus rides for women, ₹2,000 a month to each woman-headed household, free electricity up to 200 units, 10 kg of rice, and guarantees for the young and unemployed. But above all, the Siddaramaiah government has wrested control of the police. It has lost no opportunity to remind the police to return to the impartiality to which they are committed and literally shed their orange tinge (in two police stations, Kaup and Vijayapura, the police donned saffron for Vijayadashami). In short, the government has honoured its commitment to the Constitution both by offering welfare schemes and by protecting all citizens equally.

To ensure people do not face any hassle in locating their polling booths in locations where more than three booths are clustered, the Election Commission has set up voter facilitation counters to assist people. This is one of the strategies adopted by the Commission to deal with urban apathy and to increase voter turnout.

The voter facilitation counters will be like a help desk for people to locate their booth in the cluster. 

In entire Karnataka, 3,415 locations have multiple polling booths.

The State of Karnataka is set to witness the 18th Lok Sabha elections in two phases, as announced by the Election Commission of India (ECI). The two phases of voting are set to occur in the second and third phases of the General Election, scheduled on April 26 and May 7 respectively.

Join Bageshree S., Resident Editor, Karnataka, in a conversation with senior journalists from The Hindu as they examine the intricacies of the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2024 in Karnataka. In this discussion, B.S. Satish Kumar, Nagesh Prabhu, Sharath S. Srivatsa, Laiqh A. Khan and Raviprasad Kamila will give their perspectives on the political landscape and key issues at play.

In between hectic campaign schedules for the Lok Sabha elections 2024, candidates and senior leaders from across political parties, including the Congress as well as alliance partners BJP and JD(S), along with new and prominent Independent faces, sit down for an exclusive chat with The Hindu. The series features both text and video interviews.

Karnataka is set to vote in two phases of Lok Sabha elections 2024 — 14 constituencies each are going to polls in the second and third phases scheduled for April 26 and May 7, respectively. As electoral action gains momentum, reporters from the Karnataka Bureau bring you an overview of the 28 parliamentary constituencies and the intense battles to be expected this poll season.