Mysore/Mysuru: The voting for electing the State President and District Presidents of Kannada Sahitya Parishat, the representative body for crores of Kannadigas, began on a moderate note this morning in the city and district.

There are three candidates in the fray for Mysuru District Kannada Sahitya Parishat President’s post — former District Kannada Sahitya Parishat President Maddikere Gopal, Advocate K.S. Nagaraj and writer and columnist Bannur K. Raju. As far as State President post is concerned, there are 21 candidates  in the fray.

The voting, which began at 8 am, will conclude at 4 pm. There are 13,760 voters in the district, including 7,781 in the city and taluk alone. In case of the State, there are 3,10,109 voters.

In the city, Maharani’s College of Arts for Women was the lone centre having 8 booths, with each booth for every 1,000 voters. In the district, booths were set up at designated Government Offices at all the Taluk Headquarters.

Acclaimed writer and Saraswathi Samman awardee Dr. S.L. Bhyrappa, veteran writers Dr. C.P. Krishnakumar (CPK), Prof. A.V. Narasimhamurthy (AVN), T.V. Venkatachalashastry and H.S. Ramachandregowda, Vangipura Mutt Seer Sri Ilai Alwar Swamiji and other members of Sahitya Parishat were among the voters who exercised their franchise in the initial hours of voting.

Each voter was provided with two ballot papers ­— one pink coloured for District election and the other one white coloured for electing the State President.

The counting of votes in respect of District President polls will be taken up this evening simultaneously in the city and at all Taluk Headquarters after voting concludes at 4 pm and the results will be announced tonight, when the fate of all the three candidates in the fray will be known.

As far as State President polls is concerned, the counting of votes will be taken up on Nov. 24. The Sahitya Parishat polls, which was earlier scheduled to take place in May, was postponed due to COVID crisis.