The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Urban local bodies go to the polls today

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Sep 28, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Urban local bodies go to the polls today

Special Correspondent

A total of 90,31,753 voters will choose their representatives to 4,920 wards

Bangalore: Two hundred and nine urban local bodies, including seven mahanagara palikes, will go to the polls on Friday. A total of 90,31,753 voters will choose their representatives to 4,920 wards. Among the voters 44,57,983 are women.

Unlike in 2001 when elections to the urban local bodies were held in three stages spread over six months, for the first time elections are being held for all local bodies, barring the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike.

According to the State Election Commissioner M.R. Hegde campaigning for elections has been peaceful.

The incidents in Bellary, he said, were an aberration. Apart from the State police force, three companies of security forces from Andhra Pradesh, would be deputed to the city for maintaining law and order here.

Mr. Hegde said the district administration and the police in Bellary district had been directed to take extra care in view of possible clashes between the Janata Dal (S) and Bharatiya Janata Party workers, given their strained ties.

The commission had asked the Deputy Commissioner not to involve the controversial Additional Superintendent of Police Rajappa in election work in view of serious charges of partisan behaviour against him. Mr. Rajappa had been asked to confine himself to non-election duties in the district.

Mr. Hegde said that 60,000 personnel from the civil police, 45 companies of the Karnataka State Reserve Police (around 4,500), 10,000 armed personnel and Home Guards each and another three companies from Maharashtra had been entrusted with the responsibility of helping the commission officials in conducting free and fair elections.

The Election Commissioner expressed unhappiness over the attitude of urban voters who generally avoid casting their franchise resulting in poor turnout.

He said the urban voters were not as enthusiastic as those in villages in exercising their franchise. He appealed to the urban voters to take part in the elections in large numbers.

The voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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