M A I N   N E W S

Karnataka Assembly poll on May 5
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 20
Karnataka will go to the polls on May 5, Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath announced today. Elections to the 224-member state Assembly will be held in a single phase and counting of votes will be on May 8, the Election Commission said today. The last Assembly elections in the state were held in three phases.

The BJP is the ruling party in the state where the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) and the newly formed outfit, the Karnataka Janata Party of former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa, will be the prime contenders.

CEC VS Sampath said: "The model code of conduct shall come into force with immediate effect." The CEC said the poll notification will be issued on April 10 when candidates can start filing nominations. The last date for nominations is April 17 and after scrutiny the next day, the last date for withdrawal of candidatures is April 20.

Elections will be held from 8 am to 5 pm and electronic voting machines will be used for these elections. There are a total of 4.18 crore voters in Karnataka and as many as 50,446 polling stations will set up. While 36 constituencies are reserved for SCs, 15 are reserved for STs in the state. The tenure of the current Karnataka Assembly expires on June 3.

Sampath told reporters that an adequate number of general, expenditure, police and micro observers will be deployed to check the use of money power during elections.

The CEC said police officials would not be allowed to work in their home districts and officials who have completed three years at a station will also be shifted.

To check paid news, Media Certification and Monitoring Committees have also been set up at state and district levels.