Govt to election commission: Postpone GP elections

The State government has written a letter to the State Election Commission to postpone elections to gram panchayats due to Covid-19 crisis.

“We have requested the state election commission to postpone the elections to the gram panchayats. However, we will conduct the elections if we are asked to do so,” Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister K S Eshwarappa told reporters here on Tuesday.

He claimed that the BJP was strong at the grassroots and the Congress and JD(S) were afraid of the elections.

“There is time till six months to conduct the elections after the expiry of the present term. The government hasn’t taken any decision either to continue the sitting members or appoint administrators,” he said.

He alleged that there were two factions in the Congress headed by leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah and KPCC president D K Shivakumar.