Mysuru: The process for elections to local bodies in Mysuru district has formally begun, with the Karnataka government issuing a notification on Wednesday fixing the number of elected members for the zilla panchayat (ZP) and taluk panchayats (TP).
According to the notification, the number of ZP constituencies in Mysuru district has been reduced from 53 to 46, while the number of single-member TP constituencies has increased from 144 to 163.
The notification has set the stage for political parties to begin preparations for the long-pending elections to the rural local bodies.
ZP constituencies reduced from 53 to 46
The Mysuru ZP will now have 46 elected member seats, seven fewer than the previous 53.
The reduction follows the delimitation exercise undertaken ahead of the elections. A draft delimitation notification issued earlier had proposed 46 ZP constituencies and 160 TP member seats, inviting objections from the public and stakeholders.
The final notification has retained the proposed number of ZP constituencies but increased the number of TP seats by three, taking the total from the draft figure of 160 to 163.
The changes mark a significant restructuring of the electoral map of Mysuru’s rural areas.
Historically, the Mysuru ZP had 46 constituencies around two decades ago. The number was subsequently increased to 49, before another four seats were added in 2021, taking the total to 53.
The latest delimitation has therefore brought the number of ZP constituencies back to the 46-seat structure.
TP seats increase to 163
In contrast to the reduction in ZP constituencies, the number of taluk panchayat seats has gone up.
The number of TP seats had earlier been reduced from 187 to 144. Following the latest delimitation and final notification, the number has now increased to 163.
The increase means that more single-member constituencies will be represented at the taluk panchayat level.
Political leaders are viewing the government’s notification as the formal beginning of preparations for the elections to the panchayat institutions, which have been pending for several years.
The delimitation and reservation notifications will now form the basis for political parties and prospective candidates to assess the new constituencies and prepare for the electoral process.
Taluk-wise ZP constituency allocation
The government notification has also specified the number of ZP constituencies allocated to each taluk in Mysuru district.
Mysuru, T Narsipur, Hunsur and Periyapatna taluks have been allotted six ZP constituencies each.
Nanjangud has the highest allocation, with nine ZP constituencies.
KR Nagar has been allotted three constituencies, while Saligrama and HD Kote have four constituencies each.
Sargur, which is among the newer administrative units in the district, has been assigned two ZP constituencies.
The allocation adds up to the district’s total of 46 ZP constituencies.
The new constituency structure will determine the geographical areas represented by each ZP member and is expected to influence political strategies ahead of the elections.
Fresh reservation notification issued
Along with fixing the number of constituencies, the government has also revoked the earlier reservation notifications and issued a fresh reservation list.
Of the 46 ZP seats, 23 have been reserved for women.
The notification categorises 23 seats as ‘General’. Of these general-category seats, 11 have been reserved for women.
The remaining seats have been distributed among various reserved categories.
The reservation breakup for the ZP is:
- Scheduled Castes: 10 seats
- Scheduled Tribes: seven seats
- Backward Classes A: five seats
- Backward Classes B: one seat
- General category: 23 seats
- Women: 23 seats
The women’s reservation cuts across the applicable categories as specified in the notification.
84 TP seats reserved for women
At the taluk panchayat level, the government has fixed 163 elected seats.
Of these, 84 seats have been reserved for women.
The final reservation details are expected to be closely examined by political parties as they begin identifying potential candidates and assessing their electoral prospects in individual constituencies.
The reservation structure will also determine which categories of candidates can contest from particular constituencies.
ZP tenure ended in 2021
The elections assume significance as the tenure of the elected representatives of the Mysuru Zilla Panchayat ended in 2021.
The local body has remained without an elected council since then, with administrative arrangements continuing in the intervening period.
The government’s latest notification represents a significant step towards restoring elected representation in the rural local governance system.
The election schedule, however, is a separate stage in the process and will have to be announced by the competent authorities.
Political parties begin preparations
The notification is expected to accelerate preparations among political parties in the district.
With the number and boundaries of constituencies now being determined and fresh reservations announced, parties can begin assessing local political equations and identifying candidates.
The changes in constituency numbers are particularly significant because several areas that previously formed part of larger constituencies may now fall under revised electoral boundaries.
At the TP level, the increase from 144 to 163 seats will create additional constituencies and potentially alter local political calculations.
The reservation list will also play a major role in candidate selection, with parties required to identify candidates according to the category reserved for each constituency.
Long-pending rural local body elections
The notification comes after a prolonged gap in elected representation in the ZP and TPs.
The delimitation process was undertaken to reorganise constituencies and ensure that the rural local bodies function with the newly determined number of elected members.
The earlier draft had proposed 46 ZP and 160 TP seats. Following the process of inviting and examining objections, the final notification has maintained the ZP figure while increasing the number of TP seats to 163.
The fresh reservation notification is another important step before the electoral process moves forward.
For political parties, the focus will now shift towards constituency-level preparations, candidate selection and campaign planning.
For voters, the delimitation will determine the constituencies in which they will elect their representatives once the election schedule is announced.
Notification marks first major step towards polls
The fixing of ZP and TP seats and the issuance of fresh reservation notifications have provided clarity on the structure of Mysuru district’s rural local bodies.
While the final election schedule is awaited, the notification has effectively set the administrative framework for the forthcoming polls.
The reduction in ZP seats from 53 to 46, increase in TP seats from 144 to 163 and revised reservation structure are likely to shape the political landscape in Mysuru district as parties prepare for the long-awaited panchayat elections.