Rupees 100 per vote, one nosering and saree for a family of three votes and free supply of livestock and liquor. The elections to the Zilla Panchayats and Taluka Panchayats in Karnataka have never been so colorful and prosperous in the past.
No party has stayed away from enticing voters with money and gifts. The ensuing elections to 30 Zilla panchayats and 176 Taluk panchayats in Karnataka are turning to be bigger than the Parliamentary polls in terms of money being splurged by the 7,000 plus contestants in fray.
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This trend is new to Karnataka where voters traditionally identified their Panchayat leaders through the promises made, track record and testimonials. Though voters were given gifts in the past in the Panchayat elections in South Karnataka districts, the trend has gained momentum in North Karnataka, which has reported a number of violations of the code of conduct.
According to political observers, politicians in Karnataka are following their counterparts of other states. "Villagers in Karnataka always actively participated in Panchayat elections. But this year, the political parties have corrupted them to an unbelievable extent.
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