Bengaluru Gram Panchayat polls: counting of votes today

Bengaluru: Counting of votes for 5,728 Gram Panchayats in Karnataka that went for polls in two phases, will take place on Wednesday. Counting will begin at 8 am. As ballot papers were used in polls other than in Bidar district where EVMs were used, the announcement of results may get delayed, polls officials said. Elections were announced for a total of 91,339 seats in 5,728 Gram Panchayats of 226 talkus in the state, out of which candidates have been elected unopposed for 8,074 seats.

Elections were held for 43,238 seats in the first phase on December 22, while voting took place for 39,378 seats in the second phase on December 27. A total of 2,22,814 candidates were in the fray. While the first phase had seen a voter turnout of about 82 pe rcent, it was around 80 per cent in the second phase. Though these polls don't take place on party symbols, all the political parties had put in efforts to ensure that the candidate supported by them wins, so as to have their hold on grassroot level politics, which may prove advantageous for them in taluk or zilla panchayat and even assembly polls whenever it happens. Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Monday claimed the ruling BJP supported candidates are likely to win majority of the seats. "According to my information, it is certain that 85-90 per cent BJP supported candidates will get elected in Gram Panchayat polls," he had said. Voting took place in both phases with necessary COVID precautions amid the prevailing pandemic situation.