Council members of Mangaluru City Corporation line up to cast their votes at a polling booth during council bypolls from Dakshina Kannada Local Authorities’ Constituency at MCC in Mangaluru on October 21, 2024. | Photo Credit: H S Manjuinath

Byelection to Legislative Council from DK Local Authorities’ Constituency under progress

The byelection is being held to the seat vacated by BJP’s Kota Srinivas Poojary, who has been elected as the Lok Sabha member from Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituency.

21 Oct 2024, 07:39 by The Hindu Bureau · The Hindu

Byelection to the Legislative Council from Dakshina Kannada Local Authorities’ Constituency, including Udupi district, began on October 21.

The bypoll which got underway at 8 a.m. will go on till 4 p.m. in 392 booths. As many as 6,032 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise. Members of local bodies, local legislators, and MPs have voting rights.

There are four candidates in the fray. They are Kishore B.R. of BJP, Raju Poojary of Congress, Anwar Sadath S. of the Social Democratic Party of India, and Dinakar Ullal, Independent candidate.

Kota Srinivas Poojary, Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP, casts his vote at Saligrama Town Panchayat in Udupi district during council by-polls from Dakshina Kannada Local Authorities’ Constituency on October 21, 2024. | Photo Credit: UMESH S SHETTIGAR

The byelection is being held to the seat vacated by BJP’s Kota Srinivas Poojary, who has been elected as the Lok Sabha member from Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituency. The vacancy was created on June 15, 2024, following Mr. Poojary’s resignation to the Council. His term in the Council was till January 5, 2028.

The counting will be done on October 24 at St Aloysius Pre University College in Mangaluru.

MP, MLAs vote

Dakshina Kannada MP Captain Brijesh Chowta, Mangaluru City North MLA Y. Bharat Shetty, MLCs Ivan D’Souza and Manjunath Bhandary voted in the Mangaluru City Corporation polling booth.

Dakshina Kannada MP Captain Brijesh Chowta casting his vote during council by-polls from Dakshina Kannada Local Authorities’ Constituency at MCC in Mangaluru on October 21, 2024. | Photo Credit: H S MANJUNATH

Kaup MLA Gurme Suresh Shetty from Udupi district voted in Kaup Town Municipality polling booth.

Udupi MLA Yashpal Suvarna and Udupi City Municipal Council president Prabhakara Poojary voted in Udupi City Municipality polling station.

Speaker and Mangaluru MLA U. T. Khader voted in Ullal City Municipality polling station.

Speaker U.T. Khader casting his vote at Ullal City Municipality polling boothduring council bypolls from Dakshina Kannada Local Authorities’ Constituency at MCC in Mangaluru on October 21, 2024. | Photo Credit: H S MANJUNATH

Bridegroom votes

Sharat, a member of Kokkada Gram Panchayat, Belthangady taluk in Dakshina Kannada whose marriage was on October 21 came to the polling station in the same gram panchayat in his bridegroom attire and cast his vote.

Last regular election

In the last regular election held to the Council from the same constituency in December 2021, Mr. Poojary and Manjunath Bhandary from the Congress were elected as it is a dual-member constituency.

While Mr. Poojary secured 3,672 votes, Mr. Bhandary polled 2,079, and the third candidate Shafi Bellare of the SDPI secured 204 votes. In all, 6,011 votes were polled. As many as 56 votes were declared invalid.

Published - October 21, 2024 01:09 pm IST