A day after it informed the Supreme Court that it would defer by-elections to 15 Karnataka Assembly seats as the court was hearing the case of MLAs disqualified under the anti-defection law, the Election Commission of India on Friday announced it would hold the by-polls on December 5.
The ECI had on September 23 announced that it would hold the by-polls to the 15 seats on October 21. The disqualified MLAs had moved the apex court, which on Thursday listed the matter for October 22.
In its notification on Friday, the ECI said: “In view of the foregoing [SC order], the Commission discussed and deliberated upon the matter…”
The ECI said it would hold the by-polls on December 5 and counting on December 9. The nominations already filed from Monday till Friday would be taken up on November 19 for scrutiny, along with the nominations received from November 11 till November 18 — the new dates for filing nominations. November 21 would be the last date for withdrawal of candidature.
Polling for the 15 seats — Athani, Kagwad, Gokak, Yellapur, Hirekerur, Ranibennur, Vijayanagara, Chikkaballapur, K.R. Pura, Yeshvanthapura, Mahalakshmi Layout, Shivajinagar, Hosakote, Krishnarajpet and Hunsur — would take place from 7 am till 6 pm on December 5.
The Congress and JD(S) MLAs had resigned in July, leading to the BJP taking majority from the Congress-JDS alliance government.
