The Central Election Commission (CEC) has announced the schedule for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly Elections. In a first-of-its-kind move, the Election Commission will implement the “vote from home” system for elderly and disabled people above the age of 80. CEC Rajeev Kumar made the announcement at a media conference in Delhi.
The notification for nominations will be on April 13, and the final deadline for nominations is April 20. Polling will take place on May 10, with counting on May 13. Elections to the 224-seat Karnataka assembly will be held in a single phase. The CEC also mentioned that special teams have been set up for surveillance to prevent money temptations in the elections.
In the current assembly, the BJP has 119 MLAs, Congress has 75 MLAs, and JDS has 28 MLAs. While the BJP is making strategies to win the upcoming elections and form the government, the Congress party is making all-out efforts to bring the state back into their hands.
The main opposition Congress and JDS parties have already released the lists of candidates for the first phase. CEC Rajeev Kumar also clarified that a decision on the Wayanad by-election, which was represented by Rahul Gandhi, will only be taken after the court’s verdict. Rahul Gandhi has a 30-day appeal period after the cancellation of his MP membership.
In the “vote from home” system, the voting process will be kept completely secret, and the entire process will be videotaped. Authorities will confirm the eligibility of people above 80 years and disabled people for the vote from home system before polling. On the day of polling, officials may visit the homes of eligible voters to give them ballot papers and allow them to cast their votes. Care will be taken to ensure that no one is by their side while voting.
