Karnataka Election 2018: 111-Year-Old Siddaganga Mutt Head Casts Vote

On polling day, Karnataka saw voters from all walks of life. Grandparents, young brides, first-time voters, celebrities, differently-abled participated enthusiastically to celebrate the "festival of democracy".

By 3 pm, 56 per cent people had casted their votes on Saturday. Among them was 111-year-old seer of Siddaganga Mutt, Shivakumara Swami, who casted his vote in Tumakuru.

For almost a century, the powerful Siddaganga mutt (seminary), one of the biggest Lingayat centres in Karnataka, has been based here. Its influence is explicit. Shivakumara Swami, chief of the mutt, among the ten most prominent of a thousand Lingayat seminaries that are spread across Karnataka.

He has reportedly never given a miss to voting in the elections held in India since its Independence.

The seer runs a string of educational institutions from engineering to business schools and colleges. Similarly, the Suttur Math seer Shivaratri Deshikendra Swamiji in Mysuru and the Dharmadhikari of Manjunath Swamytemple at Dharmasthala Dr Veerendra Heggade too cast their votes.

BJP chief Amit Shah earlier met Shivakumara Swami.

Earlier, an 87-year-old wheelchair-borne grandmother also casted her vote in Shimoga constituency.

87-year-old wheelchair-borne woman came to cast her vote at Booth No. 150 in Shimoga #KarnatakaElections2018 pic.twitter.com/IgOeIZPCWO

- ANI (@ANI) May 12, 2018

Right before her wedding, a bride, in her wedding finery, was seen casting her vote in Madikeri.

Right before her wedding, a bride casts her vote at polling booth number. 131 in Madikeri. #KarnatakaElections2018 pic.twitter.com/UsoxftlFDS

- ANI (@ANI) May 12, 2018

Not just the old, first-time voters also participated in the Karnataka election with great enthusiasm. Taking to micro-blogging platform Twitter, a user shared a picture of him along with his friends with the caption, "We are done with our Vote. #1stvote"

We are done with our Vote.. #KarnatakaVoting #1stvote pic.twitter.com/xhEddx6Q7o

- Abhishek JM (@abhish_jm) May 12, 2018

A differently abled person arrives to vote at a polling booth in Badami #KarnatakaElections2018 pic.twitter.com/Kcz8KAKZ55

- ANI (@ANI) May 12, 2018

A total of 2,654 candidates are in the fray and 4.96-crore electorate, including 2.44 crore women, will cast their votes. Over 15 lakh people are first-time voters in the 18-19 age group. Tight security is in place to ensure smooth and peaceful polling. The votes will be counted for 222 of the 224 seats on Tuesday, May 15.

(Inputs from PTI, ANI)