The total number of graduates eligible to cast their votes in the ensuing elections to the Legislative Council from South Graduates constituency scheduled to be held on June 13 is likely to cross 1.4 lakh.
According to Regional Commissioner of Mysuru, G.C. Prakash, who is also the Returning Officer for the elections, a total of 1,33,073 graduates, including 77,291 men, 55,761 women and 21 Others had already been enrolled as voters for the elections covering Mysuru, Mandya, Hassan and Chamarajanagar districts.
However, about 10,000 more applications, which had been received till the last date for enrolment on May 16, will be sorted out in the coming days and the updated list of the voters will be finalised by the end of May. Hence, the total number of graduates in the voters list of the constituency is expected to cross 1.4 lakh.
Out of the 1.33 lakh voters, who had already been registered, Mysuru district accounted for the highest 54,039 voters, followed by Mandya’s 44,370 and Hassan’s 23,038 and Chamarajanagar’s 11,626.
A total of 130 polling booths are expected to set up across the constituency comprising the four districts.
While the election code of conduct has already come into force from May 17, the election officials will begin accepting nominations from May 19 when the election notification is scheduled to be issued.
The last date for accepting nominations is May 26. Scrutiny will be held on May 27 and the last date for withdrawal of nominations is May 30. Candidates contesting the elections should be aged 30 years or above.
Voting will be held between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on June 13 and counting of votes will be taken up on June 15.
The term of sitting member of the Legislative Council from South Graduates constituency K.T. Srikante Gowda from the JD(S) is scheduled to end on July 4.
However, Mr. Gowda has opted out of the race in the ensuing elections. The JD (S) has decided to field H.K. Ramu, former President of Karnataka State Government Employees’ Association. He will take on Congress party’s Madhu Madegowda, who is also the son of former Mandya MP G. Made Gowda.
The BJP has chosen M.V. Ravishankar, a former Chairperson of Mysore Paints and Varnishes, who had lost to Mr. K.T. Srikante Gowda in the last elections held in 2016.
Apart from Congress, BJP and JD (S), parties such as BSP and the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) too have announced their plans to contest the elections.
