Hubballi-Dharwad, six other civic body polls on Sept 3

The Karnataka State Election Commission (SEC) has fixed September 3 as poll day for the city corporations of Belagavi, Hubballi-Dharwad and Kalaburagi along with bypolls to a few other urban local bodies. 

The model code of conduct will stay into effect from August 16 till September 6, the SEC said Wednesday. 

The decision of the SEC to hold the polls comes despite a Cabinet decision that no elections should be held in the state till December owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. Elections are being held as the term of some of these local bodies has ended and due to orders of the High Court, the SEC said.  

Elections will be held for a total of 252 wards across seven urban local bodies. 

The city corporations of Belagavi (58 wards), Hubballi-Dharwad (82), Kalaburagi (55) will go to polls along with the Doddaballapur City Municipal Council (31), Tarikere Town Municipal Council (23), Bidar City Municipal Council (2) and Bhadravathi City Municipal Council (1).  

The last date for candidates to file their nomination papers is August 23. The last date for them to withdraw is August 26. Votes will be counted on September 6. 

There are 14.01 lakh eligible voters and the highest are in Hubballi-Dharwad (8.11 lakh), according to the SEC.