Holiday on ULB voting day

While state-level party leaders hitting the road on the last day of the short-duration campaign, the campaign otherwise remained by and large low-key for the elections to the urban local bodies (ULBs).

Curtain came down on the low-key campaign on Tuesday at 7 am, 48 hours prior to the polls on March 7.

Strict enforcement of code of conduct and short duration available for canvassing, political parties and candidates had to limit their campaign more on to personal appeal, than going in for buntings and banners, cutouts and posters, and advertisements in newspapers and auto announcements that would have cost them heavily.

The candidates had just enough time to go round their wards once, unlike in the previous elections when they could campaign intensively by going round the wards twice or thrice. However, this helped them to cut cost and the residents were spared of disturbance of din and noise seen on earlier occasions.

Among the leaders to hit the road for canvassing yesterday with the local leaders were former Deputy Chief Minister and Opposition Party leader Siddaramaiah who undertook a padayatra in a couple of wards till late in the evening, and former Chief Minister and Janata Dal (S) State President H D Kuramaswamy in an open vehicle.

District incharge Minister and BJP leader A S Ramadas, Karnataka Janata Paksha leader H V Rajeev and a bike rally by the BSR Congresss activists.

While election machinery has been fully prepared for the conduct of the smooth elections, the State Government has declared a general holiday on March 7.