Karnataka Gram Panchayat Election: 3,272 GPs Go to Polls Today,Gram Panchayat Election 2015,Karnataka Panchayat Election

Karnataka Gram Panchayat Election: 3,272 GPs Go to Polls Today

BENGALURU: Voters in 15 districts will choose their local governments on Friday as 3,272 gram panchayats go to polls in the first phase, with over 1.2 lakh candidates in fray.

Elections for the remaining 2,801 gram panchayats will be held on June 2.

These grassroot-level elections are expected to see a record turnout as voting has been made mandatory for the first time in the state, though there is no punitive action for those who do not vote.

In the run-up to the elections, a hectic and fiery campaigning was witnessed in all gram panchayats with candidates leaving no stone unturned to woo the voters.  Unlike Assembly and Parliament elections, there is no cap on expenditure by candidates in the GP polls, and money and liquor were flowing freely during the campaign.

The reason for such a fierce fight is attributed to the huge funds that are being pumped directly to the local governments under various schemes like the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

“Unlike in the past, gram panchayats are getting huge funds now. So there is a huge scope for the GP members to make best use of these funds and bring a visible change in their villages. But unfortunately people with such intentions are very few,” said a senior Congress leader while refusing to be named.

Though these elections are supposed to be apolitical, all the three major political  parties of the state actively participated in the campaigning as a majority of the candidates are workers of these political parties.

Mysuru, Chikkamagaluru, Dakshina Kannada, Hassan, Kodagu, Mandya, Chamarajnagar, Udupi, Belagavi, Vijayapura, Haveri, Bagalkot, Uttara Kannada, Dharwad and Gadag districts will go to polls on Friday in the first phase.

Candidate Murdered: A GP election candidate was murdered by miscreants on KGF-Mulabagal Road on Thursday. Subramani (36) was contesting from Balla. Personal enmity is suspected to be the reason.

ELECTION SNIPPETS

1> The elections to the lowest strata of the democracy has thrown up some interesting and unusual fights. Express lists out some of them.

2> Personal animosity has forced Vijayapura Zilla Panchayat member Sunanda Valikar to contest GP elections. She is taking on the second wife of her husband Yallavva Valikar in Tadavalaga village in Indi taluk.

3> Interestingly, two more relatives of Sunanda are also in the fray from the same ward

Several seats in a few GPs in Kudligi taluk in Ballari district have reportedly been auctioned for huge sums. The money so collected will be utilised for renovation of temples

4> Shivalingappa Gowda, an M.Tech graduate and a assistant professor at an engineering college, is contesting elections from Yallambalase GP in Kadur taluk in Chikkamagaluru district

5> GP elections have been boycotted by Kolagunda and Undiganalu villagers demanding filling of all tanks in Javagal Hobli in Hassan district

6> Tidigol GP in Raichur district has not seen any contest for 25 years as members are being elected unopposed

7> 91-year-old Timmaiah of Gandabommanahalli village in Kudligi taluk in Ballari is contesting the election

src:newindianexpress.com

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