Karnataka will see voting for the Lok Sabha elections in two phases. The state's 28 Lok Sabha constituencies have been divided into half, with 14 seats going to polls in two phases each.
On March 16, the Election Commission of India announced the dates for the general assembly polls. The election for all 543 Lok Sabha constituencies will happen across India from April 19 to June 1. South Karnataka's 14 constituencies will vote on April 26 in the state's first phase of the polls.
Karnataka, being one of the key states in India, plays a significant role in Lok Sabha elections because of it its sizable population and the number of parliamentary constituencies it contributes. More than 5.4 crore people are registered voters in Karnataka, of which 11.24 lakh are new voters and 4,993 voters are from third gender.
The state has a diverse political landscape and has witnessed shifting in political allegiances over the decades. Karnataka is the only state in south India where the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party has a strong support and presence. However, other parties like the Indian National Congress (INC) and Janata Dal (Secular) (JDS) have been historically prominent in the state politics.
Karnataka deals with various issues such as agrarian distress, water disputes, regional development and infrastructure projects.
Which Karnataka Lok Sabha constituencies will go to polls in first phase?
South Karnataka's 14 constituencies will vote on April 26. Following are the constituencies that will vote in the first phase.
1. Udupi Chikmagalur
2. Hassan
3. Dakshina Kannada
4. Chitradurga
5. Tumkur
6. Mandya
7. Mysore
8. Chamarajanagar
9. Bangalore Rural
10. Bangalore North
11. Bangalore Central
12. Bangalore South
13. Chikkballapur
14. Kolar
Of these Gulbarga, which is reserved for Scheduled Caste, and Shimoga, a General seat, are the key constituencies of South Karnataka.
Distribution of voters in Karnataka
The highest number of electors in Karnataka are concentrated in the Bangalore North constituency, where the elector count stands at 31.74 lakh. The lowest number of electors is found in Udupi Chikkamagaluru, totalling 15.72 lakh.
