Polling for the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Shimoga, Karnataka, which began at 7 AM today, has seen a 57.96% voter turnout till 5PM. In 2019, it was 76.56%.B.Y. Raghavendra (BJP) is contesting against Geetha Shivarajkumar (INC).
Shimoga in Karnataka is one of the state's 28 Lok Sabha constituencies. It falls under the General category and encompasses the entire Shimoga district along with parts of Udapi district. The Lok Sabha constituency has 8 assembly segments namely Shimoga Rural, Shimoga, Bhadravati, Tirthahalli, Shikaripura, Sorab, Sagar, and Byndoor.
The constituency has been a bastion of the Yediyurappa family since 2009. In the 2009 general elections, BY Raghavendra won from the seat by more than 4.82 lakh votes and a vote share of 50.58 per cent.
In 2014, Raghavendra ceded the seat to his father and former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, who won by more than 6 lakh votes. In 2019, the seat went back to Raghavendra, who won commanding a vote share of 56.86 per cent.
In the upcoming general elections, Shimoga will witness a fierce electoral battle between Raghavendra, and Congress candidate Geetha Shivarajkumar. Raghavendra, seeks re-election for the fourth time, while Shivarajkumar, daughter of the late former Chief Minister BS Bangarappa and wife of Kannada superstar Dr. Shivarajkumar, aims to leverage the popularity of the ruling party's welfare schemes to secure victory.
Also check: Assam 2024 Lok Sabha election phase 3: Key constituencies and candidates.
The battle became even more interesting as suspended BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister KS Eshwarappa declared his decision to contest from the seat as an independent candidate against the two.
Eshwarappa's rebellion against BJP Karnataka and especially Yediyurappa's family can pose a serious threat to the party's prospects in the southern state.
The leader from the Other Backward Caste (OBC) was enraged after the BJP parliamentary board denied the Haveri Lok Sabha ticket to his son KE Kantesh.
Eshwarappa, along with Yediyurappa and the late H N Ananth Kumar, is widely credited for building the BJP from the grassroots in Karnataka.
Shimoga will undergo polling in the third phase on May 7.
| CANDIDATE NAME | PARTY |
| BY Raghavendra | BJP |
| Geetha Shivarajkumar | Congress |
| KS Eshwarappa | Independent |
Also check: Live updates 2024 Lok Sabha election.
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