Bengaluru, Aug 02: State Election Commissioner P N Srinivasachari on Thursday announced the timetable for the first phase polls for 105 local bodies whose term will be completing in August and September.

The election dates have been announced after the high court’s order.

In the first phase as many as 29 City Municipalities, 53 Town Municipalities and 23 Town Panchayats will go to polls on 29 August.

The dates for Shimoga, Mysuru, and Tumkur districts have not been announced as the matter is pending before the HC. Besides, the elections in Bangalore City, Bangalore rural, Ramanagar, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Dharwad, and Chikmagalur districts will not be held in the first phase.

"The EVM machines will be used in the polls of 105 local bodies and 40,000 personnel, including police, will be deployed for electoral duty," said the Election Commissioner.

 

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Hyderabad (PTI): Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday announced that the state government will not accept the Rs 100 crore CSR donation committed by industrialist Gautam Adani for the Young India Skills University being set up in the state.

The CM's announcement came days after the indictment of the Adani Group chairman in a US court.

In a letter to Priti Adani, Chairperson of the Adani Foundation, the state government's Special Chief Secretary (Industries) Jayesh Ranjan said he has been "instructed by the chief minister not to seek the transfer of funds in view of the present circumstances and arising controversies".

While thanking Priti Adani for committing Rs 100 crore to the skills university, the official said the state government has so far not asked any of the donors for physical transfer of funds since the university had not received the IT exemption under Section 80 G. However, the IT exemption order has now been received recently.

Addressing a press conference here, Revanth Reddy said the decision was taken as the Congress government does not want to find itself in any unwarranted controversy amid the allegations against the Adani Group.

He said so far the Telangana government has not accepted a single rupee into its account from any organisation, including Adani Group, for the skills university being established to promote employment avenues for youth.

"I and my Cabinet colleagues do not want to be involved in unnecessary discussions and situations that would dent Telangana's image or my own," Reddy said.

Gautam Adani met the chief minister here on Octrober 18 and symbolically handed over a cheque for Rs 100 crore towards donation to the skills university.

Asked about the comments of BRS that the government should cancel the Adani Group's investment proposals in the state, Reddy said the government will have to take legal opinion for cancellation of any agreements as the other party can go to courts against unilateral termination of pacts.

On BRS working president K T Rama Rao's comments that the previous BRS regime did not allow Adani Group into the state, Reddy displayed photographs of former CM K Chandrasekhar Rao and Rama Rao with Gautam Adani to the mediapersons.

He also read out a list of Adani Group's investment proposals reportedly approved by the BRS government.

"Is he (Rama Rao) ready for a probe on these," Reddy asked.

When pointed out that the state government discussed investment proposals with the Adani Group though Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been raising questions on Adani for several years now, he said Congress is not against any investment proposal or corporate house but crony capitalism and violation of rules.

It is his responsibility to follow his leader when the latter is raising his voice on an issue, Reddy said.