From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Aug 30: Stage is set for the first major electoral test after Karnataka’s assembly elections in May that resulted in a hung assembly verdict leading to the formation of the coalition government of JD(S) and Congress under Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy with elections to 105 urban local bodies on Friday to decide the fate of 9121 candidates in the fray.
Voting in the elections, in which the three major political parties in the State – BJP, Congress and JD(S) – are fighting separately, will be held from 7 am to 5 pm.
Counting of votes would be held on September 3.
Elections would also be held for three major city corporations of Mysuru, Tumakuru and Shivamogga.
A total of 28 candidates have been declared elected unanimously.
The State Election Commission (SEC) has made elaborate arrangements for holding peaceful elections.
Adequate number of police force has been deployed to prevent untoward incidents during the polling.
With rains receding in several districts, the SEC is expecting high turnout in elections.
Schools and colleges would remain closed on Friday in City Corporation limits for ensuring all eligible voters to cast their franchise.
The elections to ULBs are scheduled for Friday (August 31).
The outcome of the ULB polls is unlikely to threaten the stability of the coalition government headed by H D Kumarawamy.
However, it will decide the contours of the alliance for number of Lok Sabha constituencies between two parties.
For the BJP, which emerged as the largest single party in the Assembly polls, ULB elections is seen as a litmus test for it as the party considers the urban voters virtually as its vote bank.
As BJP’s base is largely in urban pockets, the results would help the BJP to assess its popularity across the State before the general elections.
While state-level leaders of three major parties have conducted a broad-based campaign, the local legislators have been given the task of selecting candidates and ensuring victory of maximum number of ULB seats.
Sources said that the party that wins a highest number of seats in ULBs would gain momentum ahead of the 2019 general elections.
In 2013, the Congress bagged highest number of seats and rose to power in the State under the leadership of Siddaramaiah.
With the ground situation in ULB wards being vastly different from the Assembly and the Lok Sabha constituencies, problems between coalition partners - Congress and JD (S) - would mount in hung ULBs when they fight each other to take control of local bodies.
Fractured mandate in ULBs would also increase friction between the ruling parties as district ministers would naturally help his/her own party members, particularly in districts such as Ramanagaram and Mysuru, where D K Shivakumar and G T Deve Gowda are district in-charge ministers respectively.
However, there is not much enthusiasm among the leaders in these elections since they are being held soon after the Assembly elections sources said.
Moreover, heavy rains too dampen the campaign spirit in several rain battered districts of the State.