Karnataka Polls in Snapshots: Some Voters Hope for Change, Others Feel Let Down

While some were hopeful first time voters, others were disappointed to see their names deleted from voters list.

Polling for Karnataka Assembly elections 2023 commenced at 7 am on Wednesday, 10 May.

(Image: Vibhushita Singh/The Quint)

The voting for 224 member Legislative Assembly in Karnataka commenced today on 10 May. Polling started at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm.  

The main political parties contesting are the BJP, Congress, and JD(S), which will contest at a total of 58,545 polling stations across the state. The magic figure to form government in the state is 113 seats.

Friendships boosted election process at several polling booths in Bengaluru where people helped each other to cast votes. Here, Loganayagi, 50, a tenant, came along with her house owner, Shashi Rekha, 84, to cast her vote. Loganayagi told The Quint, "They (the government) have to take care of our roads. Look at the condition here. National issues also matter."

Many first time voters too were found at polling booths in Bengaluru. Sahil, 18, and Bhagwan Das, 49, cast their vote here. Speaking to The Quint, Sahil who is a first-time voter, said that he voted based on the political party’s ideology and how well he agreed with them. He said that he considered the proven measures taken by political parties in the past for the development of the state and that he is curious to know what more is in store under the winner's leadership.

To the dismay of some voters, their names were deleted from the voters list in Shivajinagar constituency in Bengaluru. Here, a 20 year old MBBS student, who did not want to divulge her name, claimed that her name was deleted from the voters list at a Shivajinagar polling booth. Shivajinagar has 1.91 lakh voters, 40 percent of whom are Muslims. 

Voters at Shivajinagar complained of their names being deleted from the voters list. Earlier, Shivajinagar was at the heart of a political storm with over 9,000 voters' names allegedly deleted from the list without cause. The Election Commissioner of Karnataka later refuted the claims. 

Ubaid Tonse, 69, once lived in Manipal, located far from Bengaluru. He moved to Bengaluru recently and is now registered to vote in the city. Hinting at his advanced age, he said, "I have been voting every since I turned of age. I do not know how many more times I will get to vote. I came to vote to exercise my right to vote this time."

Narendra Kumar, 64, feels strongly that he needs to exercise his right to vote and his wife Rajani, 53, feels it is her duty to vote. Living in Bengaluru, where the voter turnout has been traditionally low, the couple urged young voters to exercise their right to vote. Keep development on their mind, the elderly couple exhorted. 

At Holy Shepherd's Education Trust in Indiranagar, Bengaluru women voters had a unique experience as the booth was managed by women, except for the police personnel who were guarding the locality. Women managed booths in the city are being called 'pink booths.'