The elections to 136, out of the total 144 gram panchayats, in seven taluks of Dharwad district will be held in two phases, with 65 going to polls in the first and remaining 71 in the second phase, Deputy Commissioner of Dharwad Nitesh Patil has said.
Addressing presspersons in Dharwad on Saturday, Mr. Nitesh Patil said that out of the 144 GPs in the district, the term of eight will end in December. Barring them, the elections would be held for a total 1,952 seats in 136 GPs.
As per the timetable already notified, the notification for elections to 65 GPs of Dharwad, Alnavar, and Kalaghatagi taluks to be conducted in the first phase will be issued on Monday [December 7] and the nomination papers will be accepted from the same day.
Similarly, the notification for elections to 71 GPs of Hubballi, Kundagol, Navalgund, and Annigeri taluks to be conducted in the second phase will be issued on December 11, he said.
In the first phase of election, the polling would be held on December 24 and in the second phase it will be held on December 29. The counting of votes will take place on December 30 and the poll process would be completed by December 31.
Of the 136 GPs going to polls, Dharwad taluk has 533 GP seats in 34 GPs; Alnavar 47 in four GPs; Hubballi 373 in 26 GPs; Kalaghatagi 340 in 27 GPs; Kundagol 346 in 23 GPs; Kundagol 346 in 23 GPs; Navalgund 204 in 14 GPs, and Annigeri 109 in eight GPs.
Mr. Patil said that 888 polling stations will be set up and there are 6,03,592 voters, including 3,09,735 males, 2,93,844 females, and 13 of the third gender.
Superintendent of Police P. Krishnakant said that as per procedure, sensitive and highly sensitive polling stations had been identified and a strict vigil would be kept on restaurants, liquor shops and road side inns operating beyond permitted time.
ZP CEO B. Susheela said that all necessary precautionary measures would be taken during the election process in the wake of COVID-19.
She also said that strict instructions had been given to officials against not taking up any new project till the poll code of conduct ended.