As many as 47 candidates have been elected unopposed in the first phase of thegram panchayat elections in Dharwad, Alnavar and Kalghatgi taluks of Dharwad district. And, there are a total of 2,748 candidates in the fray for a total of 920 seats.
In a release, Deputy Commissioner of Dharwad Nitesh Patil has said that a total of 3,096 nomination papers had been declared as valid in the first phase of the elections and of these, 302 candidates had withdrawn their nomination papers. In 47 wards, where there were single candidates, they had been declared elected unopposed, he said.
Polling will now take place for 920 seats in 542 constituencies of the 65 gram panchayats on December 22.
In Dharwad taluk, out of the 1,805 valid nomination papers, 30 candidates have been declared as elected unopposed after 173 candidates withdrew their nomination papers. A total of 1,602 candidates are in the fray. In Kalghatgi taluk, out of the 1,115 valid nomination papers, 16 candidates have been declared elected unopposed after 110 candidates withdrew their nomination papers.
As many as 989 candidates are left in the fray. Out of the 176 valid nomination papers in Alnavar taluk, one candidate has been declared elected unopposed, while 19 candidates withdrew their nomination papers. The taluk has 157 candidates in the fray now. The Deputy Commissioner has said that election symbols have already been allotted to the candidates according to the guidelines issued by the State Election Commission.
