Bengaluru: The State Government has announced to conduct elections to the Zilla Panchayat (ZP) and Taluk Panchayat (TP), after the month of May.

This move of the Government is expected to bring to an end the three-and-a-half-year rule of Administrators in the ZPs and TPs in Karnataka.

The intent of the Government to conduct elections to the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) came to be known, following the assertion of Advocate General Shashikiran Shetty, before the High Court, during a hearing on Contempt of Court, petition filed by the State Election Commission, for not conducting the elections to ULBs, from the past three-and-a-half-years.

Advocate K.N. Phaneendra, representing the State Election Commission, assured the Court that, the Commission is ready to conduct the elections, if the Government announces reservation matrix for the ZP and TP Constituencies.

In his reply, Advocate General said, the reservation list shall be provided to the Election Commission by May, to facilitate the election to ULBs either in June or July, that was taken into cognisance by the Judge.

As per schedule, the ULB elections was due to be held during the tenure of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. However, the confusions surrounding the reservation matrix, was neither addressed by Bommai Government nor the subsequent Siddaramaiah-led Government.

As it was not possible to conduct the elections, without the announcement of reservation matrix, the Election Commission had filed a contempt of court petition at the High Court.

Meanwhile, CM Siddaramaiah told media persons that the Government was ready to conduct  elections to Zilla Panchayat and Taluk Panchayat.