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Bangalore: Karnataka will be in election mode in February as the state election commission on Monday announced two-phase polling for zilla and taluk panchayats (ZPTP) elections on February 13 and February 20. The model code of conduct comes into effect immediately. The polls will be a semi-final for the Congress, the BJP and JD(S) before the 2018 assembly polls.
 Counting of votes for 898 seats in 25 ZPs and 3,884 seats in 175 TPs will be held on February 23. Karnataka will also see bypolls for three assembly seats on February 13.

 Announcing the calendar of events, state election commissioner PN Sreenivasachary said ZP polls will not be held in Bidar, Yadgir, Kalaburgi, Raichur and Vijayapura districts owing to a stay by the Kalaburgi bench of the high court, where a writ petition challenging the reservation matrix of seats is pending. The court is expected to take up the hearing on Tuesday and the election commission is hopeful of getting the stay vacated.

 Elections to Soraba taluk panchayat in Shivamogga district will be delayed since the panchayat is yet to complete its tenure. These polls will see 50% of seats reserved for women. The reservation for women was increased to 50 % from 33 % in the polls held in 2010.

 The expenditure limit has been fixed at Rs 1 lakh for ZP candidates and Rs 50,000 for those of TP. "We will keep an eye on candidates’ expenditure. Observers will be appointed for each district,’’ Sreenivasachary said.

 The ZPTP polls will be a semi-final for the Congress, the BJP and the JD(S) before the 2018 assembly elections. Although the ruling Congress is buoyed by its performance in the recent MLC polls from the local bodies, the panchayat elections will be a referendum on Siddaramaiah’s government considering the party’s base lies in the rural areas. The BJP has more at stake after its poor show in the legislative council and BBMP elections. In the 2010 polls, the saffron party, which was in power then, had come out with flying colours. Of the 30 ZPs, the BJP had bagged 12, while the Congress and the JD(S) shared four each. In the remaining 10 ZPs, it was a split verdict. Of the 176 TPs, the BJP won 68, Congress 31 and JD(S) 29 with no party emerging as a clear winner in the remaining 48. The JD(S), which is facing internal crisis, has decided not to forge alliance with the Congress for these elections.