3-phase polls in Karnataka from May 10

the assessment of the security requirement and depending upon the availability of the security forces, the Commission has decided to hold a three-phase election,” the CEC said.

However, since the Assembly was dissolved on November 29 last year after the state was brought under President’s Rule on November 20, the Government would have to extend Central rule till the new Government takes over.

Though the elections would be held as per the new delimited constituencies, the EC has decided to collate electoral data from Karnataka from earlier rolls. “Rule 24 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 provides that if it is urgently required to prepare the electoral roll of a constituency delimited anew, the commission can prepare these by collating the earlier electoral rolls in terms of new constituencies and by making appropriate alterations in the rolls so compiled,” said Gopalaswami. He said the State Election Commission has already published the electoral rolls in terms of old constituencies and this has already been shared with all political parties. According to the new roll, Karnataka now has over four crore voters and a little under 40,000 polling stations. CEC added that 62 per cent of the voters have identity cards.