Karnataka Election Results 2018: Counting Of Votes To Begin At 8 AM
BENGALURU: Counting of votes for the crucial Karnataka assembly election will begin at 8 am today, revealing the much-anticipated outcome of the intense electoral battle in the southern state, ahead of next year's Lok Sabha elections.
The elections were held on May 12, and 222 of the 224 seats went to vote. While 10 parties are in the fray, the election is seen as a battle between the ruling Congress and the BJP.
Karnataka has 4.9 crore electors, out of which 72.36 per cent were recorded as having voted in the election.
Security has been tightened around all the strong rooms where the electronic voting machines or EVMs have been kept.
"All arrangements have been made for counting of votes in 222 seats from 8 am onwards at 38 centres in 30 districts, including five in Bengaluru where polling was held in 26 of the 28 segments," Chief Electoral Officer Sanjiv Kumar told reporters in Bengaluru.
The Election Commission has deployed 16,662 personnel for counting of votes amid tight security.
"Postal ballots will be counted first before the electronic voting machines are opened," Mr Kumar said.
The main candidates are Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of the Congress from Chamundeshwari district in Mysuru and Badami in Bagalkot, and his son Yatindra from Varuna in Mysuru.
The others are the BJP's chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa from Shikaripura in Shivamogga district, JD(S) state president HD Kumaraswamy from Ramanagara and Channapatna in Ramanagaram district, and BJP's Lok Sabha member BR Sriramulu from Badami and Molakamuru (Reserved) in Chitradurga district.
If the results end in a hung assembly, with BJP and the Congress getting a large number of seats but short of majority, the JD(S) is likely to be the kingmaker.
Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/karnataka-election-results-2018-counting-of-votes-to-begin-at-8-am-1852112
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