The Election Commission of India on Tuesday announced that bye-elections will be held to Kundgol Assembly constituency in Dharward district of north Karnataka on May 19. Results for the same will be declared on May 23, along with the Lok Sabha Elections.
Bye-polls will also be held in four seats in Tamil Nadu and one seat in Goa, announced the EC. May 19 is also the date of polling for the last and seventh phase of Lok Saba 2019 polls across the country. According to the Election Commission, the date of notification for the seats going to bye-polls on May 19 will be April 22.
The last date of nominations will be April 29, while the scrutiny of nominations will be carried out on April 30. Candidates can withdraw from participation latest on May 2.
Bye-polls in Kundgol was necessitated due to the demise of Minister for Municipal Administration CS Shivalli last month. On March 22, the minister passed away in a private hospital in Hubbali after he had suffered a cardiac attack earlier in the day. Shivalli, a veteran Congressman was a three-time MLA from Kundgol Assembly constituency and was a key aide to former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
In the 2018 Assembly Elections, Shivalli had won from the seat with a razor-thin margin against BJP’s Chikkanagoudra Siddanagoud Ishwaragoud. He had in 2013 won comfortably against the same opponent.
Shivalli was inducted into the cabinet in the second round of appointment of ministers after a mini-rebellion in the Congress in December 2018. Legislators from North Karnataka had alleged that they were not being represented enough. He was also reportedly approached by the BJP to jump ship.
Lok Sabha Elections in Karnataka will be held in two phases.
Polling will be held on April 18 in Udupi-Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Dakshina Kannada, Chitradurga, Tumakuru, Mandya, Mysuru-Kodagu, Chamarajanagara, Bengaluru Central, Bengaluru North, Bengaluru Rural, Bengaluru South, Chikkaballapura and Kolar
The remaining constituencies of Chikkodi, Belagavi, Bagalkote, Bijapur, Gulbarga, Raichur, Bidar, Koppal, Ballari, Haveri, Dharwad, Uttara Kannada, Davangere and Shivamogga will vote on April 23.