Elections to ten urban local bodies scheduled on Tuesday could be the last that the state will see for the time being as the government has decided to postpone all other upcoming polls in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We have decided to postpone all upcoming elections. There won’t be any elections, at least for six months. This will be recommended to the Election Commission,” Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said when asked about the May 9 Kannada Sahitya Parishat elections.
With the two-week ‘close down’ kicking in from 9 pm on April 27, the State Election Commission said on Monday that elections to 10 urban local bodies will be held as per schedule.
Ballari City Corporation, Vijayanagar Town Municipal Council (TMC), Ramanagara City Municipal Council (CMC), Channapatna CMC, Gudibande Town Panchayat, Bhadravathi CMC, Thirthahalli Town Panchayat, Belur TMC, Madikeri CMC, Bidar CMC, Hirekerur Town Panchayat and Hallikhed Town Panchayat will go to polls on April 27.
Polling will be held from 7 am to 6 pm, much before the ‘close down’ time of 9 pm, officials said.
There is no clarity, however, on the counting of votes scheduled on May 2 for the Belgaum Lok Sabha, Maski and Basavakalyan assembly bypolls.