14 candidates in fray for West Graduates’ Constituency after four withdraw; polling on October 23

With four candidates, including Congress rebel R.M. Kuberappa, withdrawing their nomination papers on Friday, 14 candidates are now in the fray for the election to the Karnataka West Graduates’ Constituency of the Legislative Council, polling for which will be held on October 23.

Addressing a press conference in Dharwad on Friday, Returning Officer and Belagavi Regional Commissioner K.M. Janaki said that the constituency has a total of 97,398 eligible graduate voters and that 137 polling stations, including 128 main and nine auxiliary polling stations, will be set up across Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri and Uttara Kannada districts.

A total of 18 candidates had filed nominations between September 29 and October 6. On Friday, four candidates, namely R.M. Kuberappa, Saleem Mahmad Haneef Jawali, Suresh S. Bishtanagoudar, all from Haveri district, and Imran Koodal of Hubballi, withdrew their nomination papers, she said.

The candidates remaining in the fray include Congress nominee Mohan Limbikai and BJP candidate S.V. Sankanur. The others are Nishanth Bankapur, Mallikarjun Channappa Gangadhar, Talawar Shivakumar, Kanthakumar R., Basavaraj Kotagi, Zeeshan Ahmed Khan Pathan, Santosh Manohar Vernekar, Umesh Krishnappa Daivajna, Dr. G.H. Imrapur, Krishna H. Balegar, Jishan Shirsangi and Abdul Munnan.

District-wise electorate

Dharwad district has the highest number of eligible voters at 35,117, comprising 20,013 men and 15,104 women. Gadag has 21,594 voters, including 13,757 men and 7,837 women. Haveri has 24,648 voters, including 15,547 men and 9,101 women, while Uttara Kannada has 16,039 voters, including 8,028 men and 8,011 women.

Ms. Janaki said arrangements were being made to provide basic amenities at polling stations and deploy the required presiding officers, assistant officers and other polling personnel. Training schedules had also been drawn up for polling staff, she said.

Model Code of Conduct

Sector officers, flying squads, video surveillance teams, video viewing teams, a media monitoring committee and a grievance monitoring unit have been constituted to enforce the Model Code of Conduct. Steps are also being taken to declare a dry day in accordance with the Election Commission’s directions, she said.

Ms. Janaki said that apart from two cases already reported, no other violations of the Model Code of Conduct had been registered so far.

“Candidates have been briefed on election rules, including the requirement under Section 127A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, to print the names and addresses of printers and publishers on election pamphlets and posters. A single-window system has been established to facilitate permissions for vehicles and public meetings,” she said.

The election will be conducted using ballot papers and there will be no ‘None of the Above’ (NOTA) option. The counting centre and strong room have been set up at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, Ms. Janaki said.