By IANS,
Total candidates: 2,948 (Men-2,778, Women-170) (15:06)
* Assembly constituencies: 224 (Voting will take place in 223 polling has been countermanded in Periyapatna following the death of the BJP candidate
* The Congress is contesting all the 224 seats, the BJP 223, the JD-S 222, the KJP 224, the BSP 175, the NCP 24 and the Communist Party of India-Marxist 17. The remaining 1,839 candidates are largely independents and some are from the Janata Dal-United, Samajwadi Party and unrecognized parties and independents
* Voters: 43.6 million (Men-22.22 million, Women-21.35 million)
* First time voters (between 18 and 22 years): 3.55 million
* Polling booths: 52,034
* Highly sensitive booths (prone to disturbance/violence): 10,103; Sensitive: 14,209
* Vigilance squads: 2,000, each of five members, including a photographer and a videographer
* Officials on poll duty: 253,000
* Police personnel on poll duty: 48,182; Another 100,000 more will be on duty to maintain law and order
* Constituency with maximum number of candidates: Bellary (29)
* Constituencies with minimum number of candidates: Yenkanamaradi and Mudhol (5 each)