Bengaluru: Amid the Covid pandemic, the counting of votes for 5,728 Gram Panchayats in Karnataka that went for polls in two phases, will begin at 8 a.m. on Wednesday.
Several interesting incidents unfurled on Wednesday as the results were being announced.
Toss it!
In Bagalkot district, two candidates in Gopashani ward of Gorabala GP bagged an equal number of votes and a winner was announced after a toss!
Mahantesh and Kalappa had bagged 88 votes each in the GP polls. Finally, election officers decided to go for a toss to find the winner. In the toss, Mahantesh emerged as a winner.
A similar situation had emerged in Yalesandra GP in Bangarapete taluk of Kolar, where DM Sri Rama Reddy and Arun Reddy bagged 106 votes each. Even here a toss decided the winner. Arun Reddy was chosen as the member through a toss.
Toss and draws were used in many GPs were candidates bagged equal numbers of votes.
Draw in CM BSY’s native village
Bukanakere, which is CM BS Yediyurappa’s birthplace witnessed two candidates bagging an equal number of votes. Finally, the JDS backed member emerged victorious with a draw.
Transgenders make it to GP
In a splendid development, Sudha, a transgender won the polls from Kallahalli GP’s Rajapura ward. The GP is in Bellary’s Hospete taluk and these polls were held 26 years after the formation of the panchayat. The members were so far being elected unanimously.
Meanwhile, a transgender named Devika too won the election from 7th ward of Saligrama GP in Mysuru’s KR Nagar. She won with a margin of five votes.
Mother-son duo enter GP
It is double the celebrations for Hanumavva Kuri and her son Doddabasava Kuri as both got elected to Othageri GP and Gorabala GP in Bagalkot respectively.
Value of just one vote!
The value of one vote is known when that one vote makes all the difference. Several candidates across the state registered victory with a margin of just one vote.
TV Shivakumar from Bugadanahalli GP in Tumakur, Rani Nagendra from Sanapura GP in Gangavathi and Veena Gowda from Vanahalli GP in Sirsi emerged victory with a margin of one vote each.
Lemon in the pocket!
In a bizarre incident, the police and the election officials seized lemons from candidates and their agents as the counting was underway, in Yadagir’s Shahpur taluk counting centres.
Elections were held for a total of 91,339 seats in 5,728 gram panchayats of 226 taluks in the state and 2,22,814 candidates were in the fray. Already, 8,074 candidates are elected unopposed in both phases.
There are 6,004 gram panchayats in the state but the elections were announced only for 5,762. The elections for other 242 panchayats could not be announced due to various legal issues.
