Bangalore (PTI): The high voltage campaigning in eight districts of North Karnataka that go to the polls on May 22 in the third and final phase came to an end on Tuesday.

Leaders of political parties fanned out to 69 assembly constitencies to attract voters for their respective party candidates visiting as many villages as possible before the 1700 hours deadline for the campaigning ended.

An estimated 1.17 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise with 699 candidates in the fray, including former Chief Minister N Dharam Singh and KPCC President M Mallikarjun Kharge.

Singh is bidding for a record ninth successive triumph from his home turf Jewargi while Kharge is also striving for a similar feat, albeit from another constituency in Gulbarga district.

Kharge, who was elected for eight uninterrupted terms from Gurumitkal, shifted to the neighbouring Chitapur after his erstwhile constituency became General under delimitation process. Chitapur which was a general constituency earlier, became reserved.

About 58,000 police personnel, including 25,000 paramilitary forces, would be deployed for security cover in the districts of Belgaum, Bagalkot, Bijpur, Gulbarga, Bidar, Gadag, Dharwad and Haveri.