Mangaluru: Preparations for the first phase of the Gram Panchayat elections on December 22 are in full swing in the Dakshina Kannada district. Polling officials and other personnel, on Monday, reported to the mustering and de-mustering centres in Dakshina Kannada (DK), at Mahatma Gandhi Centenary High School, Bondel-Mangaluru.
The GP polls in Dakshina Kannada will be held in two phases, the second of which will be held on December 27. There are 3,131 vacant seats across 220 Gram Panchayats. While 106 GPs in the Mangaluru, Moodbidri, and Bantwal taluks will go to polls on December 22 (first phase), 114 GPs in the Belthangady, Puttur, Sullia and Kadaba taluks will go to polls in the second phase on December 27.
While polling was announced for a total of 3,222 seats, 91 candidates have already been elected unanimously. There are a total of 7,275 candidates in the fray in the first phase and 3,421 candidates in the second phase.
There are 1,510 candidates in the fray in the Mangaluru taluk, 419 in Moodbidri, and 1,925 in the Bantwal taluk.