Congress hits out at Centre over timing of Karnataka bypolls, says flood-relief work will be hampered

The Congress on Monday hit out at the Centre over the timing of bypolls in Karnataka. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said that due to elections, the rehabilitation work will be delayed in the flood-affected areas. "Some areas are facing drought, some flooded but due to Model Code of Conduct, no work can be done," Kharge said. 

He also said that the state government was not consulted before the announcement of election dates. "Assembly elections are important but announcing by-poll election without taking state government into confidence. Those who contest these will have to bear election expenses only for a term of 5-6 months. They could've stopped it but they've done this earlier too whenever they want, they postpone/pre-pone election. It wasn't needed," he added.

The Election Commission had on Saturday announced that bypolls in three Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka will be held on November 3. The bypolls will be held for Shimoga, Billari and Mandya seats for which counting will be held on November 6.

The seats fell vacant after the MPs contested and won the recent assembly polls. BJP members BS Yeddyurappa from Shimoga in Malnad region; B Sriramulu from Bellary in the northwest region; and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) S Puttaraju from Mandya in the old Mysuru region had resigned after their win in the May 16 election.

The vacancy in the two assembly seats was created after the resignation of Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy of the JDS from Ramanagaram and the death of Congress legislator Siddu Nyamagouda in a road accident on May 28 in Bagalkot district. He was newly elected from Jamkhandi in the state's northwest district.