Lok Sabha election: Karnataka will vote in two phases on April 26, May 5

BENGALURU: With the Election Commission of India (ECI) announcing the Lok Sabha election schedule today, Karnataka will go to polls in two phases — on April 26 and May 7. The counting of votes will be on June 7.

The constituencies that will go to polls in the first phase on April 26 are Udupi-Chikkamagalur, Hassan, Dakshina Kannada, Chitradurga, Tumakuru, Mandya, Mysuru-Kodagu, Chamarajanagar, Bangalore Rural, Bangalore North, Bangalore Central, Bangalore South, Chikkaballapur and Kolar.

In the second phase, Chikkodi, Belagavi, Bagalkot, Vijayapura, Kalaburagi, Raichur, Bidar, Koppal, Ballari, Haveri-Gadag, Dharward, Uttara Kannada, Davanagere and Shivamogga will witness voting on May 7.

The notification for the first phase will be issued on March 28 while for the second phase, it will be on April 12. The last date for filing nomination in the first phase is April 4 and for the second phase, April 19. Scrutiny will be done on April 5 for the first phase and on April 20 for the second phase. The last date for withdrawal of nomination in the first phase is April 8 and in the second phase, it is April 22.

During the previous General Election, Karnataka had similarly voted in two phases. The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has come into force from today itself and any violation will attract strict action, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said.