Bengaluru: Counting began this morning at 8 AM for the 197 wards of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) which went to the polls on 22 August 2015.

Around 46 per cent of the 72 lakh electorate (37,68,498 men, 34,10,388 women and 1,141 other voters), voted on Saturday in 197 wards of the Bengaluru civic corporation across the city amid tight security, a poll official said. A total of 6,733 polling booths were provided,  wherein a maximum of 1,500 voters cast their ballot at each booth.

The day-long election was held in 197 wards, as the BJP’s Bharati Ramachandra, 45, was declared elected from the Hongasandra ward (number 189) after the nomination papers of Congress candidate K. Maheshwari were rejected on August 13 for submitting a false caste certificate.  

Barring stray incidents and heated arguments by cadres and supporters of rival political parties, polling in 197 of the 198 civic wards was by and large peaceful.