Karnataka municipal polls 2021: Counting of votes underway

There were more than 14 lakh eligible voters in 252 wards in the Karnataka municipal polls 2021, with the highest in Hubballi-Dharwad at 811,000, according to the State Election Commission.

Votes are being counted on Monday in Hubballi-Dharwad, Kalaburagi and Belagavi city municipal corporations in Karnataka, which went to polls on September 3, amid tight security and adherence to Covid-19 protocol. There were 1,318 candidates in the fray from various political parties for 252 wards across seven urban local bodies and 59 for the 21 wards in the by-polls. As many as 300 candidates are in the fray in Kalaburagi for 55 seats, 420 in Hubballi-Dharwad with 82 wards and 519 candidates are contesting in Belagavi with 58 wards, according to State Election Commission officials.

The Karnataka municipal polls were held last week.  (Representative Image)

Voting also took place across the Doddaballapur City Municipal Council (31), Tarikere Town Municipal Council (23), Bidar City Municipal Council (2) and Bhadravathi City Municipal Council (1). There were 21 wards of various urban local bodies in the state, which fell vacant due to various reasons, also went for the by-polls on the same day.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, Janata Dal(Secular), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) have fielded their nominees. In Belagavi, members of the Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti have also contested as Independent candidates.

Voting for the elections of Belagavi, Hubballi-Dharwad and Kalaburagi, along with bypolls to a few other urban local bodies were held "peacefully" on September 3. The Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation saw the highest polling with a voter turnout of 53.81 per cent, followed by Belagavi at 50.41 per cent and Kalaburagi at 49.40 per cent, the State Election Commission said on Friday. It was 75.80 per cent in the Doddaballapur City Municipal Council, followed by 74.22 per cent in the Tarikere Town Municipal Council, 68.13 per cent in the Bidar City Municipal Council and 64.27 per cent in the Bhadravathi City Municipal Council.

According to the State Election Commission, there were more than 14 lakh eligible voters in 252 wards, with the highest in Hubballi-Dharwad at 811,000.

(With PTI inputs)