Karnataka declares holiday for schools, colleges in 11 districts on June 13

The Karnataka government has declared a holiday for schools and colleges in several districts on June 13 on account of elections to the Legislative Council from Graduates and Teachers constituencies. The holiday has been declared in the districts of Vijayapura, Bagalkote, Belagavi, Mysuru, Chamarajanagara, Mandya, Hassan, Dharwad, Haveri, Gadag and Uttara Kannada. 

The government has also announced that graduates and teachers belonging to government aided, unaided and private schools and colleges, state and central government offices, factories, nationalised and private banks, cooperative societies and all other establishments, should be granted one day's leave on June 13 to cast their vote.

Elections to three of the four legislative council seats from teachers’ and graduates’ constituencies will see a direct contest between the ruling BJP and opposition Congress, while the fourth seat will also have Janata Dal (S) in the fray. The four constituencies are North-West Graduates, South Graduates, North-West Teachers and West Teachers. 

According to a report in The Hindu, the elections to the four seats of the Upper House have been necessitated as the terms of Arun Shahpur, KT Srikante Gowda, and Hanumnath R Nirani are coming to an end on July 4. The term of former chairman Basavaraj Horatti is also ending on July 4, and he has resigned since he joined the BJP.

Horatti is aiming for a record eighth successive victory from the Karnataka West Teachers constituency. He is standing against his close associate Srishaila G of the JD(S) and one-time supporter Basavaraj Gurikar of the Congress.

In the Karnataka Northwest Teachers constituency, BJP MLC Arun Shahapur is seeking a second term and is facing a major challenge from veteran Congress leader Prakash Hukkeri, a multiple-term MLA, MP, and MLC.

In the Northwest Graduates constituency, the BJP nominee and incumbent MLC Hanumant R Nirani, who is the younger brother of Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani, is taking on the Congress candidate Sunil Sunk.

The Janata Dal (Secular), which is striving to keep its seat in the Karnataka South Graduates constituency, has replaced its incumbent member KT Srikante Gowda with the former president of the Government Employees’ Association HK Ramu, who is taking on Congress candidate Madhu Made Gowda, the report said.

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