K'taka: Newly-wed couple casts vote in Belgaum parliamentary by-polls as first duty post-marriage

A newly-wed couple from the Bijgarni village in Karnataka's Belgaum exercised their right to vote in the ongoing by-elections for the Belgaum Lok Sabha seat as the first duty post-marriage.

Sumit Ashtekar and his wife went to a polling booth directly from their marriage on Saturday and cast their vote for the ongoing Belgaum Lok Sabha by-election.

Ashtekar reached the polling station in Bijgarni directly from the 'mandapa' without changing his wedding attire. He and his wife considered voting in the by-elections as their first duty after marriage.

Last month, the Election Commission (EC) had announced bye-elections to Tirupati Lok Sabha constituency in Andhra Pradesh and Belgaum Lok Sabha seat in Karnataka and for 14 vacancies in assemblies of different states.

The polling will be held on April 17 and counting of votes will take place on May 2.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Mangala Suresh Angadi to the Belgaum parliamentary constituency in Karnataka. The Belgaum constituency fell vacant following the death of Mangala Suresh Angadi's husband and Union Minister Suresh Angadi last year.

Congress also named Satish Jarakiholi as the party candidate for the by-election to the Belgaum Parliamentary constituency.

( With inputs from ANI )