Karnataka in poll mode again

BANGALORE - Karnataka will hold elections to 30 district and 176 taluq councils Dec 26 and Dec 31, the third state-wide elections in less than three years.

Voting will take place in two phases for 1,013 seats in Zilla panchayats (district councils) and for 3,659 seats in taluq panchayats. Counting will be done Jan 4, state election officer C.R. Chikmath announced Monday.

The code of conduct which bars the government from announcing schemes that could influence the voters will come into effect from midnight Monday.

The elections will be fought on party symbols. It will be a major test for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party that is battling allegations of illegal land deals including by Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa.

The year-end polls follow the 2009 Lok Sabha election, the 2008 assembly elections and over a dozen by-polls to the assembly in the last two years.