Rural and backward taluks recorded a higher turnout of polling compared to urban and more developed blocks in northern Karnataka. The average difference between rural and urban seats was around 10%.
The energy of the party cadre, candidates and their supporters added to the higher participation in seats that saw keen contests or competition between high profile candidates.
Of the 18 Assembly seats in Belagavi, the fiercely fought Athani seat recorded 83.68% polling while Belgaum Uttar seat, which houses the district headquarter town, recorded only 59.4%.
Athani was among the seats that had attracted the attention of national level political observers, due to the fight between Laxman Savadi, a recent entrant into the Congress, and Mahesh Kumathalli, a loyalist of BJP strongman Ramesh Jarkiholi. Mr. Savadi, joined the Congress after a two-decade stint in the BJP, after he sensed that his party would favour Mr. Kumathalli, who joined the BJP after Operation Lotus of 2019, over him. Over 79% voting was witnessed in Belagavi rural, another high profile seat. Belagavi rural was the battle ground for the race between Lakshmi Hebbalkar of the Congress, Raju Chougale of the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti and BJP’s Nagesh Manolkar, another follower of Ramesh Jarkiholi.
Other seats that recorded higher polling of over 80% were Nippani, Yamakanamaradi, Chikkodi -Sadalaga, Raibag and Kagwad. All these are rural areas, with Yamakanamaradi and Kagwad yet to be accorded the status of taluks.
In Bagalkot, Bilagi, the home constituency of industries Minister Murugesh Nirani, recorded 79% polling while Mudhol, from where Govind Karjol, the Irrigation Minister is seeking re-election, recorded 78.65% voting. But Bagalkot, the district headquarter town recorded 68.5%.
In Vijayapura, Indi recorded 73% while Bijapur city seat recorded only 64%. Sindagi recorded 72 and Muddebihal recorded 70% polling.
Belagavi district recorded an average turnout of 76.95%, Bagalkot 75.92% and Vijayapura 71.34%.
In most seats, women recorded slightly lesser percentage of voting than men. In Belagavi and Bagalkot, 3% men voted more than women. In Vijayapura, polling of male electors was 2% more than women electors.
The polling percentage of third gender or undeclared gender was disappointing. In Bagalkot it was only around 15%, in Belagavi it was 17% and in Vijayapura it was 11%. The state average was 20%.
Babaleshwar in Vijayapura, Mudhol in Bagalkot, Belagavi rural, north, Kagwad and Ramdurg in Belagavi district recorded zero polling by those identified as belonging to the third gender.
