Bengaluru, May 11 (IANS): A voter turnout of 72.67 per cent was recorded in the Karnataka Assembly elections on Wednesday, where polling for the 224 Assembly seats ended at 6 p.m., the Election Commission (EC) has said.
Barring few incidents, the polling was overall peaceful, the EC Secretariat said in a statement.
The southern state had crossed 50 per cent of voters turnout in the post-lunch period. By 5 p.m., 65.69 per cent of voters turned out and excercised their voting rights.
The voter turnout in the high voltage Varuna seat was recorded at 84.39 per cent. It is one among the keenly observed seats as Opposition leader Siddaramaiah and Minister for Housing V. Somanna are contesting from this seat.
The trend of huge voter turnout in coastal and hilly regions in the state continued. The voter turnout touched 74.07 per cent in Virajpet, while in Madikeri it was at 75.39 per cent.
Dakshina Kannada district which witnessed revenge killings and communal incidents also saw a large number of voters turning out to booths. Sullia recorded 78.94 per cent polling, Puttur (80.02), Bantwal (80.17), and Mangalore (77.6).
Mangalore City South recorded 65.1 per cent voter turnout, Mangalore City North 72.32 per cent, Moodabidri (76.11), and Belthangady (80.8).
The Udupi districts assembly segments Karkal saw 81.3 per cent polling, Kapu (78.79), Udupi (75.87), Kundapura (78.94) and Byndoor recorded 77.84 per cent voting.
Channapatna seat, from where former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and BJP former minister C.P. Yogeshwar have locked horns had recorded 85.23 per cent voting. Kanakapura from where Karnataka Congress President D.K. Shivakumar is contesting registered 84.52 per cent.
Shikaripura seat, from where former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa's son B.Y. Vijayendra is contesting, had seen 82.57 per cent turnout.
Hubli-Dharwad Central, from where former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar is contesting on Congress ticket, has seen 64.18 per cent voter turnout. Athani seat, being contested by former Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi, recorded 80.23 per cent polling.