Over 40 percent voter turnout till 1 pm

Mysuru: The voting for the by-polls to Channapatna, Sandur and Shiggaon Assembly Constituencies is underway with voters queuing up in front of their respective polling booths to exercise their franchise today.

According to latest reports, more than 40 percent voter turnout was recorded in each of the three Assembly segments at the time we went to the press.

While Channapatna (Ramanagara District) recorded a turnout of 48.15 percent, Shiggaon (Haveri District) recorded 43.50 percent and Sandur (Ballari) 47 percent.

Earlier, this morning, JD(S) State Youth President and NDA candidate from Channapatna Nikhil Kumaraswamy visited the famous Kengal Anjaneyaswamy Temple located on Bengaluru-Mysuru Highway and sought the blessings of the presiding deity. Later, speaking to mediapersons, Nikhil expressed confidence of emerging victorious stating that he was confident of people of Channapatna blessing him in the by-election.

Nikhil, who had lost from Ramanagara Assembly Constituency in 2023 Assembly Polls and also from Mandya Lok Sabha Constituency in 2019, is facing a tough competition from Congress candidate C.P. Yogeshwar, a         five-time MLA, who recently quit BJP to contest the by-poll.

Meanwhile, C.P. Yogeshwar, who cast his vote at his native Chakkere village in Channapatna, also expressed confidence of emerging victorious. Yogeshwar, who is also a former Minister, had lost two previous Assembly Polls (2019 and 2023) to H.D. Kumaraswamy, father of Nikhil Kumaraswamy.

The by-poll to Channapatna Assembly Constituency was necessitated following the resignation of H.D. Kumaraswamy as MLA after being elected to Lok Sabha from Mandya in the 2024 General Elections.

Brisk polling was also recorded in the other two Assembly Segments — Shiggaon and Sandur. In Shiggaon, BJP candidate Bharat Bommai, son of former CM and MP Basavaraj Bommai is facing a tough fight from Yasir Pathan of Congress and in Sandur, it is a direct fight between Congress party’s Annapoorna Tukaram, wife of MP E. Tukaram and BJP’s Bangaru Hanumantha.