Election Commission to arrive in Bangalore today

Bangalore, Mar 3 : Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) N. Gopalaswami alongwith two Election Commissioners Dr. S Y Qureshi and Navin Chawla will arrive here today to review preparations of electoral rolls.

On Tuesday, the team will meet Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer Rama Seshan, Chief Secretary Sudhakar Rao and the state's top officials. Besides reviewing electoral rolls revision, they will also evaluate redrawing of constituencies.

According to the delimitation commissions report, redrawing of constituencies has been completed in Haveri, Chamarajanagar and Kodagu districts.

The mapping of the constituencies in the remaining 25 districts would be completed by March 10.

The visit by the full bench of EC has raised speculations that the Commission was preparing to conduct elections to Karnataka State Assembly by May 28.

Various political parties including Congress expect that elections will be held around November. But the BJP, whose government lasted over a week, has been insisting that the EC hold the polls during May in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.

The EC bench is likely to visit Mandya where the district administration has already commenced the process of delimiting constituencies.

Congress, BJP and other regional parties are expected to meet the Election Commission.

The State came under the President's rule on November 20 last after the fall of the BJP Government headed by B S Yeddyurappa following withdrawal of support by Janta Dal (Secular) led by H.D.Kumaraswamy.

The State has an electorate of 42.9million, including 21.1 million women voters.

The President's rule in Karnataka is scheduled to expire on May 28.

ANI