Civic polls to be held in May in K'taka

Mysore, Mar 29 (UNI) Elections to local bodies will be held during the second week of May this year, State Chief Election Officer M R Hegde announced today.

Speaking to reporters here, he said the much-delayed elections could not be held in April as the second year pre-university examinations were on. A delimitation meeting would be held in Bangalore in the first week of May.

Mr Hegde said many Deputy Commissioners have expressed their readiness to conduct the polls in their respective districts. The second divisional level meeting would be held in Gulbarga on April three, followed by the Belgaum division and finally the Bangalore division meeting during May. The Election Commission would be holding meeting with the Director General of Police and Secretaries of various departments on April seven to finalise the date of the elections.

Asked whether the elections would be held in a single phase or in two phases, he said the police department should suggest about that as it was in charge of tackling the law and order situation. The State Election Commission was geared up to conduct the elections.

Earlier, Mr Hegde held a meeting of Deputy Commissioners of the Mysore divisional level, comprising Mysore, Mandya, Chamarajanagara, Hassan, Udupi, Chikmagalur, Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada districts, in the city.

UNI