'Please come & do vote': FM Nirmala Sitharaman exhorts people to cast ballot

Bengaluru: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday exhorted people to vote, taking in their stride anticipated hot day temperature.

The Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka cast her ballot at a polling booth in Jayanagar coming under Bangalore South Lok Sabha constituency.

Voting was underway on Friday in 14 Lok Sabha constituencies in the State in the first phase.

“Everyone should come out of their homes and cast their vote. Yes, it can be a hot day for Bengaluru but it is worth coming out. Choose your time, please come and do vote," Sitharaman told reporters.

Many booths reported brisk voting in the first hour of polling as people sought to "beat the heat" Polling began at 7 am and will end at 6 pm.

A total of 247 candidates -- 226 men and 21 women -- are in the fray for the first phase in 14 segments covering most of the southern and coastal districts, where more than 2.88 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in 30,602 polling stations.

The 14 segments facing polls in the first phase are: Udupi-Chikmagalur, Hassan, Dakshina Kannada, Chitradurga, Tumkur, Mandya, Mysore, Chamarajanagar, Bangalore Rural, Bangalore North, Bangalore Central, Bangalore South, Chikkballapur and Kolar.

There are a total of 2,88,19,342 electors in these constituencies — 1,44,28,099 male, 1,43,88,176 female and 3,067 third gender.