Zilla, taluk panchayat polls on December 26, 31

Zilla, taluk panchayat polls on December 26, 31

Mangalore Today News Network

December, 6: The zilla and taluk panchayat polls of the state will be held on December 26 and 31 respectively, the state election commission announced on Monday.

The state election commissioner, C.R. Chikkamath, told reporters said that polls will be held at 30 zilla panchayats and 176 taluk panchayats. Electronic voting machines will be used in these elections.

The SEC said that the model code of conduct would come into force from Monday midnight itself.

This means that the state government would not be able to announce new schemes and would also have to pull down all the hoardings and advertisements displayed on vehicles or at public places. Mr Chikkamath added that the ZP polls of three districts Gadag, Haveri and Davangere, will not be held as the HC has stayed the elections there. "The order restricts us to take up any polling work in these districts pertaining to ZP seats but elections for the taluk panchayats will be held as per the present schedule," he explained.

Belgaum boasts the highest number of seats in ZP and in taluk panchayats, at 336. Bengaluru rural and Gadag districts have 18 ZP seats which is the lowest. In the case of taluk panchjayats, Kodagu has lowest number of seats at 49.

Meanwhile, in a move to preempt the Opposition Congress strategy to highlight the land allotment and denotification scams allegedly involving the CM BJP strategists seem to have decided to aggressively campaign on the 2G Spectrum and Commonwealth Games scams during the panchayat polls.