Karnataka State Election Commission begins preparations for gram panchayat polls
Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Election Commission (SEC), in coordination with the state government, has begun preparations for the upcoming gram panchayat (GP) elections, as the five-year terms of over 5,700 gram panchayats are set to expire between December 2025 and January 2026.
Arundati Chandrashekar, Commissioner of the Karnataka Panchayat Raj Commissionerate, has directed the CEOs of all 31 zilla panchayats to submit detailed lists of gram panchayats whose terms are concluding. The deadline for submitting this data to the panchayat raj commissionerate is October 24, according to a letter cited by The Times of India on Tuesday.
The directive follows a communication from the SEC requesting information on gram panchayats with expiring terms, including member details, reservation specifics for women and various categories, and other relevant electoral data. Zilla panchayats have been given 15 days to compile and forward this information to assist the SEC in updating electoral rolls and scheduling the polls.
G.S. Sangreshi, SEC commissioner, said that the SEC had written to the government regarding the conduct of GP elections and was awaiting a response. "We expect a reply to initiate further proceedings. We will plan based on the govt's reply," TOI quoted Sangreshi as saying.
Meanwhile, some Members of the Legislative Council (MLCs) elected from local bodies had proposed allowing candidates to contest GP elections using party symbols. However, the proposal was rejected by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in September, who described it as a “bad idea” that could encourage political groupism and disrupt village-level harmony.
Officials quoted in the report confirmed that candidates will continue to contest using their own unique symbols on the ballot paper, and the use of symbols affiliated with any recognised political party will be prohibited in the gram panchayat polls.
The last GP elections in Karnataka were held in December 2020 in two phases, covering nearly 93,000 wards across more than 5,700 gram panchayats.
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Indian Navy vigilant in safeguarding country's maritime interests: Prez Murmu
Visakhapatnam (PTI): President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday said that the Indian Navy is vigilant in safeguarding country's maritime interests and is contributing to stability across wider maritime commerce.
Presiding over the International Fleet Review (IFR) off Vizag coast abroad an Indian Naval warship in the Bay of Bengal, the President said the Indian Navy is deployed in the region to serve as a credible instrument of deterrence and defence against threats and challenges arising in the sea.
"Indian Navy is vigilant in safeguarding India's maritime interests and is contributing to stability across wider maritime commerce," Murmu said.
Further, she noted that the Indian Navy plays a vital role in promoting goodwill and building bridges of trust, confidence and friendship with navies around the globe.
Murmu addressed the IFR after she sailed to review several Indian and foreign vessels.
