Ending months of suspense over assembly elections in Karnataka, the Election Commission hasy announced a single-phase polling on May 5 and counting of votes on May 8.
The model code of conduct, which bars a government from announcing fresh schemes or taking up new
projects, came into force on Wednesday. It was to beat this code that chief minister Jagadish Shettar presented the budget on February 8.
The term of the assembly ends on June 3. This means a new government must be in office by then.
The ruling BJP is in a disarray ever since Lingayat strongman B S Yeddyurappa left to form his Karnataka Janata Party. Yeddyurappa quit as chief minister in 2011 following corruption charges. There has been a steady erosion in the BJP’s vote base, evident from its rout in the urban local body elections.
The Congress will count on a victory in Karnataka to enthuse party workers ahead of the assembly elections in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, due later this year, followed by the Lok Sabha polls in 2014.
As for the implementation of budget proposals from April, sources in the Karnataka Chief Electoral Office said chief secretary SV Ranganath and the Election Commission would issue guidelines. “The bottomline is that no new projects can be taken up, and even those tendered cannot be executed,’’ said sources.
Single-phase polling is bound to change the complexion of elections in Karnataka this time round. Election officials say political party representatives have themselves sought this schedule. Security will not be an issue as Karnataka is the only state going to vote, and forces can be co-opted from neighbouring states.
Besides, single-day polling could shave a bit off the expenditure bill.
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