05/24/08
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Its judgment day
Karnataka Assembly Poll Outcome 2008
Below find the live update of Karnataka 2008 Assembly Election results.
Final Results
Total number of seats β 224
Results Declared β 224
Trends Available β 224
Party Name Ahead Won Total
Congress 0 80 80 (+12)
BJP 0 110 110 (+30)
JD(S) 0 28 28 (-26)
Others 0 6 6 (-16)
BJP Vote Share 34.6 %
Congess Vote Share 35.7 %
JD(S) Vote Share 18.8 %
Other Vote Share 10.9%
The number of independents who have won this time are
the lowest in the history of Assembly elections in the
state.
Of the six independents, four are Congress rebels while
one is a JD-S rebel and the other a BJP rebel.
According to BJP sources, chief ministerial nominee
B S Yeddyurappa will meet Governor Rameshwar Thakur to
stake his claim to form the government only after
enlisting the support of three independents that will
be also required to survive a floor test.
MANDYA: All eyes here are on P.M.Narendraswamy, the
independent candidate who won the Malavalli seat.
After the Congress denied him ticket, he entered the
fray with the confidence of making it to the Assembly.
Although the BJP tried to woo him, he preferred to
fight the elections as an independent.
Now that the BJP is running short of simple majority,
the support of independents has become crucial for the
formation of a new government in the State.
47 candidates face criminal charges
32 with criminal charges are in the fray
Special Correspondent
BANGALORE: Even as the State prepares for the third phase of polling for the
Assembly elections, the list of candidates includes a large number of
candidates having criminal background from three major parties. A study,
βKarnataka Election Watch 2008β, released by the Association of Democratic
Reforms (ADR) shows that the wealth of candidates has increased multifold
since the last elections in 2004. ADR spokesperson Trilochan Sastry told
presspersons here on Saturday that there were 36 candidates with grievous
criminal charges such as murder, attempt to murder, bribery, cheating,
dacoity, forgery, rape and theft. Of them, 27 were from major political
parties.
The BJP tops the list of parties having candidates with criminal cases
against them with 12 candidates followed by the Janata Dal (Secular) with
seven and the Congress with six. Eleven other candidates have criminal
records.
Mr. Sastry said the ADR was careful to include only those charges that were
serious in nature. One BJP candidate faced charges of murder while in the
Congress, four of them faced charges of murder.
The Janata Dal (Secular) has one such case. The document says 140 candidates
with serious criminal charges have contested in all the three phases of
elections so far.
The document states that there are 22 candidates who faced grievous charges
in 2004 but the nature of their offences have changed after they became MLAs
or when their parties came to power. The ADR wants the authorities to
investigate into the charges. Giving details about the volume of wealth
accumulated by the candidates contesting in the third phase, the document
says the candidates have amassed wealth of Rs. 199.02 crores since the last elections in 2004.
.
Reforms could ensure more voter turnout
Research could throw up answers for poor poll percentage
Poll percentage could improve if the Government makes a βdetermined attemptβ to bring in reforms
βInvolvement of Resident Welfare Associations, NGOs and other concerned citizens would helpβ
MYSORE: The voter turnout in the second phase of the elections held in ten
districts has been put at 60 per cent, which is a drop of six per cent from
the first phase of polls. What could be the reason for voter apathy? Can
reforms set right the apathy and ensure people turn out in large numbers to
exercise their franchise?
Social activist Vasanthkumar Mysoormath, who conducted voter awareness
movements in 1999, 2004 and 2008 elections (first phase), has echoed Deputy
Commissioner and District Election Officer P. Manivannanβs reported view that
research has to be conducted on poor poll percentage.
βIt is high time that such an exercise is undertaken by the Government of
India. A number of election reforms are long-pending before the Centre.
The Election Commission itself has forwarded some suggestions that are
pending since many years now,β said Mr. Mysoormath, who was the presiding
officer in more than 10 elections.
Mr. Mysoormath, who retired from the Indian Audit and Accounts Department,
maintained that the poll percentage can be substantially improved if the
Government makes a βdetermined attemptβ to bring in reforms as recommended
by the Election Commission and experts over the years.
He, too, had made certain suggestions for improving the poll percentage.Missing
names Many eligible voters have been denied their right to vote because their
names were missing,although they held Electorβs Photo Identity Cards (EPIC).
βWhy should they keep running around in circles to obtain updated EPICs every time there is
an election, only to be turned down because the revised rolls do not contain
their names,β he asked.
The money and energy spent for enumeration and preparation of electoral rolls
with the help of teachers and government officials has time and again failed
to produce the required results.
This needs to be answered because public money is being splurged to prepare
incorrect rolls and to deny the citizens their right to vote, he said.
Involvement
It is also time for the citizens to behave in a responsible manner and
involve themselves at the grassroots level to help the EC set right the
perennial problem, he said.
The three-tier system applicable to rural areas viz., zilla, taluk and gram
panchayats, is absent in urban areas. To fill this gap, involvement of
Resident Welfare Associations/NGOs and other concerned citizens would help.
Better network
βStreet committees with volunteers from the residents in a street are the
need of the hour. They, in turn, can coordinate with ward committees for
enumeration and compilation of near-perfect electoral rolls and also for
assessing the works and projects that need attention and for projecting
their demands and grievances with the concerned service providers,β
Mr. Mysoormath suggested.Sensitising youth.
The youth of the country has exhibited rank apathy due to their feeling that
βpolitics is a dirty businessβ.
Many have expressed disgust over the behaviour of politicians in
Parliament/Assemblies.
βNot botheredβ
βThe youth have not bothered even to register themselves as voters because
of the cumbersome procedure and running around to get an EPIC which
nevertheless becomes useless by the next election. This attitude needs to be
changed,β he said.
Political will
What the country needs is political will to bring necessary legislation through amendment
to those rule books that govern elections.
βCountries like Turkey and Australia have compulsory voting and the turnout
is about 90-plus per cent. What made those countries prescribe such a rule
and how it is implemented may be studied and adopted in our country also,β
he said.
Incentives
Can incentives attract voters?
Some incentive is bound to attract at least a percentage of people to stop
being apathetic and cynical and proceed to vote.
βA system may be prescribed: those who vote may be given a certificate by
the EC for claiming say one or two per cent reduction in their electricity
bills or water bills or property tax for a certain period after an election.
If the percentage of voting can be increased by spending a few crores, then
it will be well worth trying,β said Mr. Mysoormath.
EC has failed to check flow of money
Election Commission has failed to check distribution of money and other
articles among voters. Mine lords, members of land mafia and anti-social
elements were controlling the elections, which a dangerous development in
democracy.
Major political parties had no moral right to go before the electorate as
they had forgotten the basic principles of politics.four polling booths in
Bellary alleged rigging during the second phase of Karnataka
assembly elections.
Tribal organisations, demand, disqualification, of candidatesAdivasi
Swayattategagi Rastriya Rangha (ASRR)and Nagarahole Tribal Rights Samithi
have urged the Election Commission to disqualify three candidates contesting
from H D Kote(Reserve) Assembly Constituency for allegedly producing false
caste certificates.
According to a press note issued by Samithi Convenor P K Ramu, the candidates
Mr Chikkanna (Congress), Mr Chikkaveera Nayaka (BJP)and (Mr Doddanayaka
(JD-S) had contested the Assembly elections from this reserved constituency
for tribals and urged the Commission to disqualify and file criminal cases
against them.
Earlier, based on a complaint filed by the public, Deputy
Commissioner and District Election Officer P Manivannan had
suspended H D Kote Tahasildar T Vijya and ordered a departmental
inquiry against her for issuing S T certificate to BJP candidate
Chikkaveera Naika.
They alleged that all three candidates had tampered with the
school documents and produced the false caste certificates during
the time of the election process and contested from H D Kote.
The Assistant Commissioner of Hunsur Sub Division M R Ravi had
submitted a report to the district election officer alleging
tampering with the records by the three candidates to claim the
Scheduled Tribe status to contest the election.
In his report, Mr Ravi stated the Tahsildar of H D Kote had
issued controversial caste certificates without verifying the
original documents and failed to follow the procedures before
issuing them.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner and District Election Officer
P Manivannan said the report had been sent to the Election
Commission for further action.
In Reserved Constituencies, the Major Opposition Parties have encouraged False Caste
Certificate holders as candidates.May be to keep them under their control for not asking for any provisions of reservation.
In CV Raman Nagar Constitutncy similar action was not taken when objection was raised
during scrutiny, they were not rejected but accepted since the Tahsildars had issued them certificates and EC said that they were helpless and only the Courts can help them.
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Overall polling percentage in State put at 64.72
Special Correspondent
64.23 per cent polling recorded in third phase
BANGALORE: The State has recorded 64.72 per cent of polling in elections to the 13th Legislative Assembly held in three phases on May 10, 16 and 22.
The percentage of polling in 2004 Assembly elections was 64.9.
In sharp contrast to the comparatively low turnout of voters in Bangalore during the first phase of the Assembly elections, polling in the third phase for the 69 constituencies in the eight districts of northern parts of the State was a respectable 64.23 per cent.
The polling in the first phase was 66 per cent and in the second phase was 67.75 per cent.
District-wise figures
The percentage of polling district-wise in the final phase is: Bagalkot (67.47), Belgaum (70.88), Bidar (57.77), Bijapur (60), Dharwad (64.86), Gadag (65.80), Gulbarga (52.22) and Haveri (71.33).
The Election Commission has ordered repolling in four booths in Gulbarga district following failure of electronic voting machines. The repolling will be held on Saturday.
Repolling will be held at booth No. 170 in Surpur constituency, booth No. 30 at Shahapur constituency, booth No. 68 at Yadgir constituency and booth No. 98 at Chittapur constituency, all in the Gulbarga district, according to officials at the Chief Electoral Office here.
Results to be out by 3 p.m.
Special Correspondent
Information Department sets up media centre at Vartha Bhavan
Resource centre comprising 15 officers and staff set up
β Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.
For the big day: (From right) Principal Secretary, Information Department, I.M. Vittalamurthy; Chief Electoral Officer M.N. Vidyashankar, and Commissioner, Information Department, K.V. Ravindranath Tagore checking the facilities at the media centre in Bangalore on Friday.
BANGALORE: The Information Department, in collaboration with the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer here, has made all arrangements for providing information on the results of the elections to the Legislative Assembly to the media at the Vartha Bhavan on Mahaveer Bhagwan Road in the city, on Sunday.
Addressing presspersons here on Friday, Information Department Principal Secretary I.M. Vittalamurthy said separate media centres with have been set up for print, electronic media and news agencies. A press kit with an election compendium, background information of 2004 elections and CD with photographs of all candidates and other information would be made available, he said.
National Informatics Centre would provide exclusive information from each and every counting centre, results, party positions, trends and they would be displayed on a separate screen (Plasma TV) at the media centre both on the ground floor and the first floor. Arrangements have been made to get information from all districts, he said.
A resource centre has been set up on the ground floor which equipped with 15 officers and staff with the facilities such as 15 telephone lines and five fax lines, the Principal Secretary said.
Chief Electoral Officer M.N. Vidyashankar said results of all 224 Assembly constituencies would be declared at 3 p.m. on Sunday. Information at the State, district level and constituency levels would be provided to the media, he said.
Hi-tech vote counting in Karnataka
Special Correspondent
BANGALORE: The counting of votes will go hi-tech this time in Karnataka as the State is set to use a web-based technology to aid the process of counting. The new technology will enable computerised counting, computing and also transmission of the data to the Election Commission from the counting centres.
Addressing a press conference here Friday, Bangalore Urban district Deputy Commissioner M.A. Sadiq, who is also Returning Officer for the district, said the software was also being used in the district which comprises seven Assembly constituencies. The software titled βGenesys,β supported by the National Informatics Centre, is to facilitate online counting.
BJP, JD(S) accused of distributing money, liquor
Action against top officials sought for hooch deaths
He alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal (Secular) had distributed money and liquor to voters during the elections, without any qualms.
Reiterating the criticism against the Election Commission for not heeding the Congress demand for holding elections after preparing the electoral rolls, Mr. Kharge said that 20 per cent of the voters, mostly labour class and farmers, were deprived of their rights.
Citing the case of polling booth no. 98 near Wadi Station in his Chitapur constituency, he said that names of some 143 voters had been removed a few months ago by the Commission.
But, they returned with their ID cards and were allowed to vote. An election observer, who saw this, had reportedly ordered a repoll in the booth, he said.
He said that the commission should not repeat this mistake in the elections which would be held in future.
Many voters were illiterate and should not be deprived of their right to vote.
The KPCC president alleged in many booths the polling officers had disallowed a large number of people from casting their votes, even after producing one of the 20 documents to prove their identity.
Hooch tragedy
On the hooch tragedy, the Congress leader demanded action against top officials and not a few juniors such as sub-inspectors, responsible for the death of people.
On the basis of important recommendations of various inquiry commissions and committees on the liquor tragedies in the State, a stringent law should be enacted to avoid recurrence of such incidents, Mr.Kharge added.
If 20 per cent of the voters, mostly labour class and farmers, were deprived of their rights to vote then the Election Commission should be scraped and an Election Committee akin various Parliamentary Committees consisting of representatives from all the Political parties should be in its place and should ensure that all eligible peoples names are included in the voters list before any other future elections. Till such time no elections must be held.
People must have the Right To Information from such a Committee to know all the information for Transparency
While the Election Commission boasts of Hi-Tech this time in Karnataka as the State is set to use a web-based technology to aid the process of counting. The new technology that enable computerised counting, computing and also transmission of the data to the Election Commission from the counting centres. Was it difficult to ensure that all the eligible people’s names included in the voter’s list with photo identity ?
Split verdict will delay formation of government
By all accounts, government formation is not expected to be an easy exercise unless one of the three main political parties in the fray secures a simple majority in the least. While the Bharatiya Janata Party is the only party which has been categorically stating that it will win a comfortable majority, the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) have refrained from such announcements for obvious reasons.
Election Commission was not heeding to the demand for holding elections after preparing the electoral rolls, stating that the new Government has to be formed on 28-05-2008 as per the Constitution of India. Such an action might only help Communal Party which claims of majaority. The secular forces must see that a proper Election Committee in line with any other Parliamentary Committee representing all political parties is formed for future free and fair elections after including all elegible people in voter’s list with photo identity cards.
βEC strictures led to more spendingβ
Special Correspondent
Candidates could not reach voters through cheaper modes of publicity
Delimitation compounded the woes of candidates
Bangalore: The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee on Friday opined that the restrictions imposed by the Election Commission of India forced the candidates to spend more, as they were unable to reach their voters through the cheaper modes of publicity such as mikes fitted on autorickshaws in the countryside.
Addressing presspersons, KPCC election spokespersons B.L. Shankar, V.R. Sudarshan and K.H. Srinivasa said that the District Returning Officers took different views in their jurisdictions in imposing restrictions on using autorickshaws and mikes in public meetings. It happened in Chikmagalur district, Mr. Shankar said.
The problem of the candidates, mostly new ones, was compounded this time because of the delimitation of the constituencies and most of them did not know their voters. The holding of elections should not be too technical as it would take of the flavour from it, they said.
The Election Commission, Mr. Shankar said, should experiment with more debates by the media in future. Mr. Srinivasa and Mr. Sudarshan said that it was strange that mikes were allowed to be used during Ganeshotsavas and hoardings by film industry and the birthday of personalities, and political parties were barred from using it. Are the political parties and politicians criminals to be ostracised like this? they asked. A serious exercise such as elections should not be left to the whims and fancies of the officials, they said.
On the election prospects, Mr. Shankar said admitting that the Congress faced a serious challenge by its own workers, and that 12persons joined the Bahujan Samaj Party.
http://jamnagar-news.blogspot.com/2008/05/rajkot-municipal-building-burns.html
Almost all political parties are up for creating mess out of this issue, Bahujan Samaj Party is arranging a Dharna, Rebal BJP is carrying out a signature campaign, Congress is simply doing protests, even less known NCP is up for a fight.
This controversy erupted when new building of Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMS) constructed inside central zone of Ambedkar Bhawan was resolved to be named as the Chiman Shukla Building.
This turmoil reached to Jamnagar and all over Saurashtra, In Jamnagar these parties protested against District Collectorate at Lal Bunglow, In Kalavad situation got worse and Police was called in for help, similar incidents are felt all over Saurashtra