Bengaluru, Jan. 1 -- In a move with significant political implications ahead of future electoral battles, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President DK Shivakumar on Thursday announced that elections to all rural and urban local bodies in the state will be held during the year, seeking to draw a line under years of delay that have become a contentious issue between the ruling Congress and the opposition.
The announcement assumes importance as elections to Zilla Panchayats, Taluk Panchayats and urban local bodies have been pending well beyond their constitutionally mandated terms, leaving several grassroots institutions under prolonged administrative control.
The absence of elected councils has been repeatedly flagged by ...