Crucial twin Assembly bypolls in Karnataka on Tuesday

Bengaluru, Nov 2 : Amid the Covid pandemic, two crucial by-elections will be held in Karnataka on Tuesday in Bengaluru’s Rajarajeshwari Nagara (RR Nagara) and Tumakuru’s Sira assembly segments after a 10-day high-voltage campaign by the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress and JD-S.
“Around 6.76 lakh electorate, including 7,000 first-timers, are eligible to vote in the two by-elections from 7 am to 6 pm,” an Election Commission official told IANS here on Monday.
RR Nagara has 4.6 lakh voters, including 2.4 lakh men and 2.2 lakh women, while Sira has 2.15 lakh voters, with 1.10 lakh men and 1.05 women.
Electorate above 60 years have been allowed to vote with postal ballot due to the Covid-induced restrictions on them from going out of their homes.
“For Covid-affected voters, we have arranged ambulances to ferry them to the nearest polling station in both the assembly segments in the last hour (5-6 pm) to exercise their franchise and return to their home or hospital where they are under treatment,” the official said.
The state government has declared paid holiday for all the voters in both the assembly segments to exercise their franchise on Tuesday.