Deputy Commissioner and District Election Officer N. Jayaram, on Saturday suspended three election officers on the charge of dereliction of duty during elections, forcing repoll in three wards under different gram panchayats.
The suspended officials have been identified as Krishna Murthy, Assistant Engineer at Malaprabha Left Bank Canal division of Karnataka Niravari Nigam Limited, Ramdurg, Laxman Yadravi, Assistant Horticulture Officer, Sulebhavi and P.L. Kangralkar, a teacher at District Institute of Education and Training (DIET), Mannur, who were election officers for Togal Gram Panchayat in Ramdurg taluk, Sulebhavi Gram Panchayat and Hudli Gram Panchayat in Belagavi taluk, respectively.
Mr. Murthy had allegedly not included the name of a contestant, Shivaganga Mutyannavar, in the ballot paper. Mr. Yadravai and Mr. Kangralkar were held responsible for allegedly changing the symbols of two candidates in the elections.
Due to these irregularities, the deputy commissioner had order re-polling in all the three wards, which would be conducted on Sunday.
Final voting percentage
The district recorded an average polling of 81.39 per cent as against the 78.38 per cent in the previous GP elections in 2010.
Chikkodi taluk recorded the highest polling with 85.74 per cent and Belagavi taluk recorded the lowest with 76.15 per cent.
Polling in eight other taluks in the district was as follows: Khanapur with 78.64 per cent, Hukkeri with 83.91 per cent, Bailhongal with 81.28 per cent, Ramdurg with 82 per cent, Savadatti with 82.03 per cent, Gokak with 78.65 per cent, Athani with 83.23 per cent and Raibag with 82.23 per cent, according to the district election office here on Saturday.
One has been accused of not including the name of a contestant in the ballot papers
The other two are accused of changing the symbols of two candidates
