Assembly Polls in Karnataka on May 5

Model of code of conduct for the 'one phase' election comes into effect from today

Election to Karnataka assembly will be held on May 5 in a single phase and counting of votes will be on May 8, 2013. The model of code of conduct has come into effect from Wednesday.

Announcing the detailed calendar of events for the up coming polls, Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath said, the notification to this effect would be issued on April 10. The last date for filing nominations is April 17 and scrutiny of the nominations will be done on April 18. The last for withdrawal of candidatures is April 20.

The polling will be held for all 224 constituencies on May 5, 2013, and the counting of votes will be held on May 8, 2013. The entire process of elections will be completed by May 11, 2013.

The term of the present assembly will expire on June 3, 2013. In 2008, the polls were held in three phases.

There are 41.8 million votes in the state and 50,446 polling stations will be set up. Of 224 constituencies, 36 are reserved for SCs and 15 for STs. The electoral rolls of all the existing Assembly constituencies in the state have been revised, with reference to January 1, 2013, as the qualifying date, and have been finally published in two phases (for 178 ACs on January 16, 2013, and for the remaining 46 ACs on January 28, 2013). As per the final published electoral rolls, total electors in the state are about 41.9 million.

Photo electoral rolls will be used during the forthcoming general election. Photo percentage in photo electoral rolls of Karnataka is 98.69 per cent.

Sampath said adequate number of general, expenditure, police and micro observers will be deployed to check the use of money power during elections. There will also be close monitoring of any cases of paid news.

He said contesting candidates would have to file their details in a single Form 26, the revised format of filing affidavits listing out their criminal record and other details.

The poll will be conducted at all polling stations using electronic voting machines (EVMs). The commission has already made arrangements to ensure availability of adequate number of EVMs for smooth conduct of elections, he said.

The District Election Officers have been asked to prepare a comprehensive district election plan in consultation with superintendents of police and sector officers, including the route plan and communication plan for the conduct of elections. These plans will be vetted by the observers taking into account vulnerability mapping exercise and mapping of critical polling station in accordance with Election Commission of India’s extant instructions.

All critical events will be video-graphed. District Election Officers will arrange sufficient number of video and digital cameras and camera teams for the purpose. The events for videography will include filing of nominations, scrutiny thereof and allotment of symbols, First Level Checking, preparations and storage of Electronic Voting Machines, among others, Sampath said.