About 66.05% voter turnout till 5 pm in 14 LS segments in Karnataka

Bengaluru: An estimated 66.05 per cent voter turnout was reported till 5 pm on Tuesday, for the second phase of Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka, in 14 constituencies.

The polling began at 7 am and will end at 6 pm.

Out of the 14 segments, highest turnout of 72.75 per cent was recorded in Chikkodi, followed by Shimoga 72.07 per cent, and least 57.20 per cent in Gulbarga.

A total of 227 candidates -- 206 men and 21 women -- are in the fray for the second phase covering northern districts, where more than 2.59 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in 28,269 polling stations.

The Congress and BJP are locking horns on the electoral battleground again in less than a fortnight in Karnataka.

It is a straight fight between the ruling Congress and BJP in these segments. The JD(S) is not contesting in these seats and is supporting its NDA alliance partner -- the BJP.

The state has a total of 28 Lok Sabha constituencies. The first phase of polling in the other 14 seats in most of the southern and coastal districts was held on April 26.

The segments where elections are being held are: Chikkodi, Belgaum, Bagalkot, Bijapur, Gulbarga, Raichur, Bidar, Koppal, Bellary, Haveri, Dharwad, Uttara Kannada, Davangere and Shimoga.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, BJP had swept all these 14 seats, defeating Congress and JD(S), which were in alliance and ruling the state back then.