Karnataka Panchayat Election Results 2020 LIVE Updates: The total number of JD(S)-supported candidates having won or leading is 4,301, whereas 3,777 Independents or candidates supported by other parties have won or are leading
Congress-supported candidates celebrate win in Karnataka Gram Panchayat polls Image courtesy: Twitter@siddaramaiah
Karnataka Panchayat Election Results 2020 LATEST Updates: The number of Bharatiya Janata Party-supported candidates having won or leading in the Karnataka Gram Panchayat election remains higher than that of Congress-supported candidates with News18 Kannada reporting 12,795 candidates backed by the saffron party leading or having won the Karnataka Gram Panchayat polls.
According to the news website, 9,545 candidates supported by Congress have won are leading in the rural elections.
The total number of JD(S)-supported candidates having won or leading is 4,301, whereas 3,777 Independents or candidates supported by other parties have won or are leading in the gram panchayat polls.
Congress leader and former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said the gram panchayat candidates supported by the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee have registered wins across the state and termed it as rural Karnataka's rejection of the farm laws, which have been at the centre of over a month-long protest in Delhi and other parts of India.
"Rural India is frustrated by the policies implemented by @BJP4India. Farmers are against anti-farmer laws and they found Gram Panchayat elections as the perfect opportunity to teach @BJP4India a lesson (sic)," Siddaramaiah tweeted on Wednesday.
In a series of tweets, Siddaramaiah also accused the ruling Karnataka BJP of trying to lure Congress-backed candidates.
"There are reports that @ BJP4Karnataka is trying to lure our candidates either by threatening or by offering money BJP leaders are frustrated that they could not win the hearts of Rural India. This should be condemned #GramPanchayat (sic)," he added.
Though these polls don't take place on party symbols, all political parties have put in efforts to ensure that the candidate supported by them wins, so as to have their hold on grassroot level politics.
As many as 2,22,814 candidates contested the election whereas 8,074 candidates were elected unopposed.
Meanwhile, after losing elections continuously five times, a candidate from the Navalagi Gram Panchayat of Bagalkote district's banahatti taluk finally won on Wednesday, a report in News18 said. The candidate named Danappa Asangi has been contesting in the Navalagi gram panchayat election for the last 30 years, the report added.
As a precautionary measure, the sale of liquor has been banned in all districts of Karnataka. The election commission has started to count the Postal ballots first.
The results of the recently-concluded Gram Panchayat election in Karnataka will be declared on Wednesday. Counting of votes for 5,728 gram panchayats that went for polls in two phases on 22 and 27 December began at 8 am.
As ballot papers were used in polls other than in Bidar district where EVMs were used, the announcement of results may get delayed, polls officials said.
Elections were announced for a total of 91,339 seats in 5,728 gram panchayats of 226 talkus in the state, of which candidates have been elected unopposed for 8,074 seats.
Elections were held for 43,238 seats in the first phase on 22 December, while voting took place for 39,378 seats in the second phase on 27 December.
A total of 2,22,814 candidates were in the fray.
While the first phase had seen a voter turnout of about 82 percent, it was around 80 percent in the second phase.
Though these polls don't take place on party symbols, all the political parties had put in efforts to ensure that the candidate supported by them wins, so as to have their hold on grassroot level politics, which may prove advantageous for them in taluk or zilla panchayat and even Assembly polls whenever it happens.
Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Monday claimed the ruling BJP supported candidates are likely to win majority of the seats.
"According to my information, it is certain that 85-90 percent BJP supported candidates will get elected in gram panchayat polls," he had said.
Voting took place in both phases with necessary COVID precautions amid the prevailing pandemic situation.
