Mangaluru : The stage is set for Monday’s byelection to the Legislative Council from Dakshina Kannada Local Authorities’ Constituency, which also covers Udupi district.

Voting will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The counting will be held on October 24 at St. Aloysius Pre-University College. As many as 6,032 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in 392 booths. Members of local bodies, local legislators, and MPs have voting rights.

There are four candidates in the fray – Kishore B.R. of BJP, Raju Poojary of Congress, Anwar Sadath S. of the Social Democratic Party of India, and Dinakar Ullal, Independent candidate.

According to M.P. Mullai Muhilan, election officer, the maximum number of 65 voters in the constituency are in Mangaluru City Corporation booth and the minimum number of five voters each are in Madappady and Konaje Gram Panchayat polling stations in Dakshina Kannada.

In Udupi district, the maximum number of 44 voters are in Shiroor Gram Panchayat and the minimum six voters each are in Hallihole and Edamoge Gram Panchayats.

Total 3,552 voters are women voters, comprising 1,710 men and 1,842 women, are in Dakshina Kannada. The district has 234 polling stations.

Udupi district has 2,480 voters, including 1,195 men and 1,285 women. There are 158 booths in the district.

Taluk-wise, Belthangady taluk has the highest 49 polling stations. Bantwal taluk has the highest 793 voters and Hebri taluk has the least nine polling booths and 122 voters.

3,263 members of 223 gram panchayats, 65 voters of Mangaluru City Corporation, 64 members of two city municipalities, 74 voters of three town municipalities, and 86 members of five town panchayats are eligible to vote in Dakshina Kannada.

In all, 2,355 members of 153 gram panchayats, 36 members of Udupi City Municipality, 72 voters of three town municipalities, and 17 voters of a town panchayat in Udupi can exercise their franchise.

The byelection will be held to the seat vacated by BJP’s Kota Srinivas Poojary, who has been elected as the Lok Sabha member from Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituency. The vacancy was created on June 15, 2024, following Mr. Poojary’s resignation to the Council. His term in the Council was till January 5, 2028.

In the last election held to the Council from the same constituency in December 2021, Mr. Poojary and Manjunath Bhandary from the Congress were elected as it is a dual member constituency.

The model code of conduct is in force till October 28.