64 percent voters turnout in Karnataka Assembly polls

Voting commenced at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm.

Voting is taking place in 222 of the 224 constituencies in the state.

Security has been tightened for the voting in the state.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, 69, is contesting from two constituencies- Chamundeshwari and Badami.

Karnataka has witnessed a fierce campaigning conducted by both the Congress and the BJP. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi came down to Karnataka for the past few days.

BJP has been ruling the state from 2008 to 2013 till Congress removed them from power to form the government in the southern state.

Karnataka poll assumes significance as it is the last important state in the south to go to polls before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

It is one of the few states ruled by the Congress in India.

Counting of votes will take place on May 15.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission on Friday deferred the poll in Rajarajeswari Nagar constituency in Karnataka to May 28.

The decision was taken just few hours before voting commences in Karnataka.

"The voting was deferred in view of “vitiation” of the electoral process on account of attempts by political parties and candidates to induce voters through distribution of freebies and illegal collection of EPICs aimed at either wooing the voters or keeping them from voting," The Times of India reported.

The commission cited two incidents of “serious nature” which compelled it to conclude that the electoral process had been vitiated.

The counting for the polling will take place on May 31.