EC directs Dakshina Kannada district administration to prepare for MCC election

Mangaluru: The Karnataka State Election Commission has directed the Dakshina Kannada district administration to prepare the list of polling booths and polling staff for the upcoming election to the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) council.

In a circular dated September 13, the Election Commission has directed the district administrations of Dakshina Kannada, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Davanagere, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Mysuru, Dharwad and Ballari districts to take all necessary measures for the smooth conduct of elections to urban local bodies (ULB) in their jurisdictions.

In fact, elections will be held for 11 ULBs including MCC. The high court of Karnataka directed the EC to hold elections to the MCC council on or before November 15.

While the city corporation has 60 wards, the commission has directed the district administration to appoint one returning officer of assistant commissioner or equivalent rank. Accordingly, one returning officer each will be appointed for five wards. Each returning officer will get an assistant returning officer of tahsildar or similar rank.

To monitor the expenses of candidates, the district administration has been asked to form teams of officials from the department of accounts. The Election Commission has already prepared a voters list based on the electoral roll of March 26, 2018, which was used for the recent assembly election. Meanwhile, a final voters list, which will include data up to August 31, will be released soon.

Officials have been directed to conduct spot inspections and submit a report on polling booths to the commission. While polling staff and officials will be appointed soon, training will be held for them later. The district administration will have to be prepared with sufficient number of EVMs depending on the number of polling booths.

While the MCC has 60 wards, Congress had managed to win 35 and complete five years’ tenure. The BJP had won 20 seats in the council, while CPM and SDPI could bag one seat each. MCC commissioner Mohammed Nazeer said the city corporation is fully prepared to hold elections.