Karnataka bypolls: Election Commission announces fresh dates, voting on December 5, counting on December 9

The Election Commission on Friday announced fresh dates for bypolls in Karnataka Assembly. According to the poll panel, the election for 15 seats will take place on December 5 and the results will be announced on December 9. The announcement has been made a day after EC told the Supreme Court that it will defer by-elections till a final disposal of the petitions of the disqualified MLAs. 

"We will hear the matter for October 22, when we again hear the case for a final disposal of it," ruled a three-judge bench, headed by Justice N V Ramana.

The poll body had made an oral submission to defer the bypolls, slated for October 21, as the Supreme Court said it wanted to decide finally the disqualified MLAs petitions against the orders by Speaker Ramesh Kumar, consequent to their toppling the HD Kumaraswamy dispensation in Karnataka.

The Supreme Court had posted further hearing in the case for October 22, when it will decide the fate of these 17 disqualified MLAs of Karnataka. 

Earlier the poll panel had announced bypolls for 15 seats on October 21 along with assembly elections to Maharashtra and Haryana.