E-Paper
K’taka panchayat polls: Counting underway as parties vie to establish supremacy
The outcome of the gram panchayat election is expected to reflect the current mood of the rural citizenry in the state
The counting of votes for the Karnataka gram panchayat election (voting was held in two phases on December 22 and 27), has begun. While the gram panchayat election is being held on a party-less basis, all the three main contenders, the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (Secular) or JDS, are vying to have a majority of their supporters elected.
The outcome of the gram panchayat election is expected to reflect the current mood of the rural citizenry in the state. Since the voting was held on paper ballots, counting is expected to be completed only late Wednesday night and trends are expected by late afternoon.
Actual vote counting began after a thorough mixing of ballot papers. Candidates are vying for 82,616 seats in total, of which 8,074 have been elected unopposed.
According to preliminary reports coming in, BJP-backed candidates are leading in 3,226 seats, Congress-backed candidates in 1,987 seats, JDS-backed candidates in 849 seats and others in 543 seats.
As political experts had predicted earlier, the BJP is doing well in northern Karnataka, while it is a direct fight between the Congress and JDS in the southern part of the state and Old Mysuru region. Experts said Independents are likely to hold the key to who will eventually rule there.
In several places across the state, candidates have received an equal number of votes and the winner is being decided by lottery. In Hebbal gram panchayat of Vijaypura district, for instance, two candidates got 311 votes each. The election authorities declared Shrishaila Hipperagi the winner by draw of lottery.
Despite authorities’ appeals, supporters of candidates are collecting in huge numbers near counting centres without masksa dn are failing to maintain social distancing.
Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa will address the media at his home office on Thursday at 12pm regarding the outcome of the election.
