Pandemic forces Karnataka state poll body to defer panchayat polls

The Karnataka State Election Commission (SEC) has postponed gram panchayat elections due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the constitutional body ordered on Thursday.

"On examining the viability of conducting the elections to gram panchayats, the SEC has decided to postpone the polls, considering the situation (Covid-19 pandemic)," the SEC ordered.

The poll panel will scrutinise the situation in the days come before taking a call on holding the elections.

The poll body also took congnizance of the district administration and its machineries being busily involved in tackling Covid-19.

The tenure of as many as 5,800 gram panchayats out of 6,025 will lapse between June and August 2020.