Second phase panchayat polls in Karnataka record 80.71 per cent

BENGALURU : As the second and final phase of Gram Panchayat elections concluded on Sunday, the State Election Commission said that the overall poll percentage was 80.71, a tad lower than the 81.4 recorded during the first phase on December 22. Bengaluru Rural had the highest voter turnout at 91.86 per cent, and quite ironically, Bengaluru Urban recorded the lowest at 67.48 per cent. 

All the three major political parties claimed to have done well. But with no parties and party symbols allowed in these polls, it is common practice to make such exaggerated claims. With the polling over, all eyes are now on Wednesday, when the votes will be counted.  At all the 20,000-plus polling booths, the SEC followed Covid-related guidelines, like handsanitisers, masks and social distancing. 

Over one lakh candidates were in fray for 39,378 seats spread across 109 taluks. Those diagnosed Covid-positive were allowed to vote in the last one hour of  polling between 4 pm and 5 pm. In round one, the polling was held for 3,019 panchayats with 43,238 seats across 117 taluks. An assessment by the State Government gave around 18,000 seats to BJP, 16,000 seats to the Congress and 4,000-plus to the JDS, while the remaining to independents and others.

DGP Praveen Sood told The New Indian Express that the polling was completely peaceful like in the first round and a record of around 79,000 police personnel, home guards and auxiliary forces had been pressed into service. For the first time, personnel from the prisons department were used in large numbers, he added. Each booth had an average of two police personnel. Gram Panchayat polls form the grassroots of the electoral system. 

Though traditionally, Congress and JDS were strong in Gram Panchayats, the BJP has been steadily growing over the last 12 years. It is a common phenomenon in these polls for all the members to gravitate towards the winners as the political party system is not followed. The assessment of phase two may take a couple of days, but the BJP is expected to get a clear edge. Since there was no contest in 3,697 seats, the members have been elected unopposed.