Bengaluru: The gram panchayat (GP) elections, the biggest grassroot democratic exercise in the state is finally over with the State Election Commission (SEC) declaring the results in 60,000 of the 94,458 seats which went to polls on May 29 and June 2. Though the polls were strictly apolitical, major parties—Congress, BJP and JD(S)—rushed to claim credit asserting that candidates whom they had backed had won the majority of seats.
The commission has completed the counting but compilation of results is still underway. By midnight, the results of all 94,458 seats will be declared. Elections were held in 5,835 of 5,844 GPs with the Commission announcing early results in Bidar district where it used Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). State Election Commissioner P.N. Srinivasachari has issued directions to all deputy commissioners to complete the reservation process for electing panchayat functionaries by June 16.
The 5,835 gram panchayats have a total 94,458 seats with 2,33,493 candidates in the fray. As many as 8,687 members were elected unanimously and 901 seats are vacant due to non-filing of nominations. Over one lakh women candidates contested the elections. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah while congratulating the victorious candidates claimed Congress supported candidates had won in large numbers and voters had reposed faith in his government and its pro-people programmes.
Backing him was KPCC President Dr G. Parameshwar who quoted an internal survey and claimed Congress backed candidates had won the majority of seats. Though GP elections are not held under the party banner, voters have reposed faith in the Congress by appreciating the programmes of the state government, he said. Contesting him was BJP State President Pralhad Joshi who said his party was happy with the poll results. Rural voters have rejected Congress rule by electing candidates backed by BJP, he said adding the rural base of the party has been strengthened after the polls.
Opposition leader in the Assembly Jagadish Shettar termed the performance of his party as satisfactory and claimed that nearly 60 per cent of party backed candidates had won. “Rural voters have rejected the Congress and the ‘freebie policies’ of the state government,” he said.
