Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Aug 3: The Congress - JD(S) coalition government in the state will be facing its first litmus test in the form or election for urban bodies. State election commissioner, P N Sreenivasachary, who announced the time table for the above election at a press conference held on Thursday August 2, said that election for 105 urban local bodies would be held on August 29, while counting and announcement of results will take place on September 1.

Election will be held for 29 city municipal councils, 53 municipalities, and 23 town panchayats. The deputy commissioners of the districts will come out with notifications about the election on August 10, and filing of nominations will begin simultaneously. August 17 will be the last date for submission of nominations, scrutiny of nominations will take place on August 18, while August 20 will be the last date for withdrawal of nominations. If necessary, re-poll will take place on August 31, he said.

Polling will take place from 7 am to 5 pm on August 29 all over the state. Counting of votes will take place in taluk headquarters on September 1. Although terms of Mysuru, Tumakuru and Shivamogga city corporations too are coming to an end shortly, election dates for them have not been fixed as case relating to reservation is pending in high court, it is learnt.

In the meanwhile, sources said that coalition partners in the state government, Congress and JD(S), might not be able to forge an alliance for this election as second and third level leaders in these parties have struck a discordant note about it. Particularly Congress leaders are against the alliance, and even within the JD(S) there is not much enthusiasm about the possibility of entering electoral understanding, it is said. To discuss the issue, national president of JD(S), H D Deve Gowda, has called for meeting of party legislators on Sunday to discuss about the electoral preparation and desirability of entering into understanding with Congress. After this meeting, Gowda is expected to announce about the party's clear stand on this issue.

It is learnt that the much awaited expansion of the ministry and appointments to corporations and boards, which were expected to take place shortly, may be postponed in view of declaration of local bodies’ election. Both the partners were waiting for Ashada month to pass to undertake the above exercise as this month is believed to be inauspicious. There is fear among the leaders that if these exercises are conducted now, disgruntled people in the respective parties might create problems for the electoral chances of their candidates.