Karnataka State By-Elections: Model Code Of Conduct Enforced For 15 Assembly Segments 

The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for the 15 by-elections in Karnataka on 5 December will be re-enforced from Monday (11 November), a senior poll official said.

"As per the amended schedule for the bye-elections in 15 assembly segments across the state on 5 December, the MCC will come into force from 11 November in the districts in which they will be held," state Chief Electoral Officer Sanjiv Kumar said in a statement on Sunday (10 November).

The by-elections have been necessitated due to the disqualification of the 14 Congress and 3 Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) rebel legislators after they resigned from their respective assembly seats in July in protest against the former coalition government's functioning.

Though former assembly speaker K R Ramesh Kumar disqualified 17 rebels lawmakers on 25-28 July for reportedly defying their party whip, bye-polls in Muski (Raichur district) and R R Nagar (Bengaluru southwest) have been withheld due to litigation in the Karnataka High Court over their results in the May 2018 assembly elections.

The by-elections will be held in Athani, Kagwad, Gokak, Yellapura, Hirekerur, Ranibennur, Vijaynagara, Chickballapura, K R Pura, Yeshwanthpura, Mahalakshmi Layout, Shivajinagara, Hosakote, K R Pete and Hunsur.

Vote count is on 9 December.

"Filing of nominations will be resumed on Monday and allowed till November 18, their scrutiny on 19 November and last date of their withdrawal is 21 November," said Kumar.

The by-elections were postponed on 26 September from 21 October, as the writ petitions of the disqualified against the speaker's decision were being heard by the Supreme Court and the Election Commission has six moths (till 26 January, 2020) to fill them from the date of their disqualification in July.

The Congress on 31 October announced names for 8 assembly segments, while the ruling BJP and JD-S were yet to do till Sunday.

The BJP is waiting for the apex court's ruling on the disqualifications, as quashing them will enable it to nominate them to re-contest on its ticket or as Independents.

The former ruling allies (Congress and JD-S) are contesting the bye-polls separately as decided after the collapse of their 14-month coalition government on 23 July following the defeat of its chief minister H D Kumaraswamy's trust vote on the floor of the assembly in the absence of the rebels for voting in favour of the confidence motion.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)