Bengaluru: With the state govt planning to hold elections to zilla panchayats (ZPs) and taluk panchayats (TPs) across Karnataka in January 2027, the State Election Commission (SEC) has directed all deputy commissioners (DCs) to initiate the process of appointing returning officers and assistant returning officers.
They must also submit the list of ROs and AROs to the SEC by Nov 16 for approval. The DCs have been asked to convene preliminary meetings and arrange election-related training for the appointed officers. The SEC has also stressed the need for proper coordination between ROs and AROs and instructed DCs to assign election duties based on the number of constituencies. Officials selected for election duty, apart from ROs and AROs, should also have prior experience in conducting elections. The DCs have been directed to organise training for all election officials and staff covering every stage of the electoral process, from the commencement of election preparations to its completion. The commission has instructed DCs not to change officials assigned election duties without its prior approval. Any changes, if required, must be made only after obtaining the SEC’s consent. Recently, RDPR minister Eshwar B Khandre indicated the SEC might publish the election schedule by mid-December for Jan polls.
The SEC has completed an audit of ballot boxes available across the state and found that boxes valued at more than Rs 80 crore were in good condition for reuse, according to sources. However, the state govt recently released Rs 125 crore to the commission to procure additional ballot boxes and other materials required to conduct the elections using ballot papers.