Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023 Highlights: The last leg of campaigning for Karnataka elections will see biggies from BJP and Congress hoping to turn the tide in their favour. While the Congress is banking on an anti-incumbency wave that has worked since 1985, the ruling BJP hopes PM Modi's popularity will see it through. 113 seats are needed for a simple majority — a feat BJP has never achieved. The PM will be reportedly involved in about 15 public meetings and roadshows in next six days, giving the BJP campaign a significant push. In all, there are 2,613 candidates in the fray for the May 10 Karnataka Assembly polls after the last date for withdrawal of nominations on Monday. According to the final list of candidates shared by the Election Commission, 185 women candidates and one from the ‘Others’ category are contesting. While 224 candidates are from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Opposition Congress has fielded 223, and the Janata Dal (Secular) has fielded 207 candidates.
Congress announces fifth poll 'guarantee': free travel for women in public transport buses
Announcing the fifth poll "guarantee" oftheCongress ahead of the May 10 Assembly polls inKarnataka, party leaderRahulGandhi on Thursday promised free travel for women in public transport buses, if it's voted to power in the state.
Congress leaderRahulGandhi said: “As soon as Congress comes to power, on the very first day the fifth guarantee will also be implemented. Women acrossKarnatakawill travel free in public transport buses."
Congress has already announced four guarantees: 200 units of free power to all households (GruhaJyoti), Rs 2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family (GruhaLakshmi), 10 kg of rice free to every member of a BPL household (AnnaBhagya), and Rs 3,000 every month for graduate youth and Rs 1,500 for diploma holders (both in the age group of 18-25) for two years (YuvaNidhi).
Mallikarjun Kharge on alleged PM Modi-snake comment:
"We have ideological differences.RSS-BJP'sideology is poisonous. But they compared it to Prime Minister and claimed that I commented about him. It was never my intention to speak about any person or hurt anyone."
"If my statement has hurt anyone, if it was misconstrued and distressed anyone, I will express special regret for it."
Siddaramaiah playing with sentiments of people from backward classes, says Karnataka CM
Caste census report was done duringSiddaramaiah'stime, why isn't he bringing it out, he is playing with the sentiments of people of backward classes...:KarnatakaCM andBJPleaderBasavarajBommai
ALERT:
BJP top-brass demands apology from Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge for likening PM Modi to snakes
Congress used 'religion' to come to power, says Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in poll-bound Karnataka
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday came down heavily on the Congress alleging that it used “mazhab” (meaning religion in Urdu) to come to power.
Singh also slammed the party for having introduced four per cent reservation, in its earlier term, on religious lines in Karnataka, saying it had been done only to appease Muslims.
“If there is any political party in the history of India which took the support of ‘dharma’, or rather, 'mazhab' to come to power, then it is Congress,” Singh said, addressing a public meeting at Kagwad in Belagavi district.
PM Modi on Congress:
Congress' warranty has expired, party not in state to give any guarantee in Karnataka
Rahul Gandhi promises loans, subsidies if Congress wins
Rahul Gandhi promises Rs 1 lakh interest-free loan to fisherwomen, Rs 25 subsidy a litre up to 500 litresof diesel a day if Congress wins in Karnataka.
“Once Congress comes to power, we will give Rs 10 lakh insurance cover to fishermen... I can assure you that the Congress govt will be very sensitive to the needs of fishermen and we will make sure that your interests are protected,” he said during his interaction with the fisherfolk community in Udupi.
Congress seeks FIR against Amit Shah for saying Karnataka would be 'afflicted by riots' if INC wins
Congress leaders on Thursday complained to the police against Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his alleged statement that if their party won the upcoming elections, then Karnataka would be “afflicted with riots", and claimed he said it with the clear intent of disrupting the communal harmony in the state.
It also requested the police that an "urgent and immediate" FIR be lodged against the former BJP chief and others for the "offences".
The complaint was made by AICC General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala, state Congress president DK Shivakumar and former Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara to the Station House Officer, High Grounds police station here.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge clarifies remark likening PM Modi to snake
“It wasn't meant for PM Modi, what I meant was that the BJP's ideology is 'like a snake'. I never said this personally for PM Modi, what I said was their ideology is like a snake and if you try to touch it, your death is certain.”
With only two weeks for polls, electioneering in full swing
With less than a fortnight left for the May 10 Assembly polls in Karnataka, electioneering is in full swing as political leaders intensify their campaigning across the state to woo voters.
While the ruling BJP fielded a battery of its leaders including chief ministers from other states and union ministers, along with state leaders, to campaign in various parts of the state by addressing public meetings, holding road shows and interactive meets, the Congress had its general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra touring the state too.
Meanwhile, JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, 89, and his son and former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy are leading their party's campaign.
The seats that will matter in the BJP vs Congress fight for Belagavi
-- There are 18 assembly constituencies in the border district which is a Lingayat stronghold and has been a BJP bastion in the last two decades.
-- Five of the constituencies in the district are dominated by Marathas, while Lingayats form a majority in most of the 13 remaining constituencies. There is a sizable population of OBCs and SCs/STs as well, with two seats reserved for these groups in the district.
-- From the powerful Jharkiholi family, Ramesh Jarkiholi and Balachandra Jarkiholi are contesting on a BJP ticket from Gokak and Arabhavi assembly constituencies, respectively. Another member of the family, Satish Jarkihol is contesting on a Congress ticket from the Yemkanmardi seat.
-- Shashikala Jolle is contesting on BJP ticket from Nippani constituency. Her husband Anna Saheb Jolle is the BJP Lok Sabha member from Chikkodi in Belagavi district.
-- From the Khatti family, Ramesh Khatti — who represented the Chikkodi parliamentary constituency from 2009-2014 — is contesting on a BJP ticket from the Chikkodi-Sadalga MLA seat this time, while his nephew Nikil Katti is contesting from the Hukkeri assembly constituency.
-- After quitting BJP over denial of a ticket, Laxman Savadi is contesting on a Congress ticket from the Athani assembly seat.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh hits back at PM Modi
The Congress on Thursday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his remark that the grand old party cannot give true guarantees, saying the people of Karnataka will guarantee the end of the "BJP's 40 percent Commission Sarkara" on May 10 and all the promises of the Congress will be implemented.
Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai holds a roadshow in Tadasa village of Shimoga district
CM Bommai feels that PM Modi highly motivates BJP workers
-Every word of PM Modi motivates the BJP workers. I am sure our party workers will double their efforts to bring back BJP to power in Karnataka, saysCM Basavaraj Bommai on PM's interaction with state BJP workers today
Just wait & watch how things move in Karnataka, says HD Deve Gowda
No reaction on anybody’s assessment. It is their assessment. Let them enjoy till the mandate of the people is declared. Just wait & watch how things move inKarnataka," says JD(S) leader and & former PM HDDeveGowdaon upcoming Assembly elections.
PM Modi will visit Karnataka on April 29
-During his visit, the PM will hold a 4.5 km roadshow in Bengaluru, mentioned BJP leader & Union minister Shobha Karandlaje
BJP has grossly underestimated my strengths, will realise it on results day: Jagadish Shettar
Former Karnataka CM, who joined the Congress party after BJP denied him an assembly election ticket, says he has never delivered emotional or hateful speeches to whip up emotion among the innocent public and is now with a party that holds similar views.
After a bitter parting with the BJP, Shettar in an interview with Moneycontrol shared how the relationship with his party for several decades soured and he expressed confidence in winning for the seventh time as MLA from the Hubballi Central constituency in Dharwad district. Read excerpts from the interview here
Karnataka elections 2023: Beware of Rahul Gandhi's promises, says Chouhan
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivaraj Chouhan, who is campaigning for the BJP in Gokak, urged voters not to fall for ”false promises” made by the Congress.
He said the Opposition party makes false promises and urged voters not to fall for them. ”Beware of (Congress leader) Rahul Gandhi’s promises. He had come to Madhya Pradesh promising a debt waiver but nothing was done.” The Congress can do anything for votes, and even might promise getting stars from the sky, he said, and alleged that the Congress wants to win elections ”to make money”.
He also said both Congress and JD(S) are two faces of the same coin with dynasty politics.
Explained: What does the Lingayat-Vokkaliga factor mean in Karnataka elections?
Overall, the Karnataka election result, to a large extent, will hinge on how much the major parties can safeguard their core vote-banks in key geographies. And the extent to which the Lingayat and Vokkaliga vote may shift... Read More
Karnataka Election 2023: Seats that will matter in the fight for Belagavi
Belagavi will see a tough fight between the Congress and the BJP as Lingayat politics take over, but also to look out for is the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) which could play spoilsport in a few seats as it wants to keep the border issue alive in the traditionally BJP bastion.
Belgavi is important as it has the second highest number of assembly seats after Bengaluru Urban. Read more about all the factors here
Karnataka Polls: Congress appoints 5 regional observers
The Congress has appointed five observers for the Karnataka elections as it seeks to wrest power from the BJP. Each will be entrusted with a region of the poll-bound state.
> General secretary Avinash Pande will be the observer for the Central Karnataka region,
> A Chella Kumar will be for the Mysore region,
> Manickam Tagore for the Mumbai-Karnataka region,
> Party leader Ajoy Kumar for the coastal Karnataka region, and
> Mohan Prakash for the Hyderabad-Karnataka region
News Alert: Congress leaders file police complaints againgst Amit Shah, orginerers for "communal riots" claims
Congress leaders Randeep Singh Surjewala, Dr Parmeshwar and DK Shivakumar file police complaint in Bengaluru's High Grounds police station against Union Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah and organisers of BJP rally for allegedly making "provocative statements, promoting enmity and hatred and maligning opposition"
"Union Home Minister has said that if Congress comes to power then there will be communal rights. How can he say this? We have filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India on this," Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar told ANI.
Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023: PM Narendra Modi to party workers in Karnataka
To make India progress, we will have to get rid of this "revdi culture" (culture of offering freebies)
Congress's warranty has expired, then what is the meaning of its guarantee
People of Karnataka are ready to form BJP's stable government with full majority
Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023: PM Narendra Modi to party workers in Karnataka
Ask for votes for a stable and majority government in Karnataka, make people understand problems of instability
Whenever BJP gets an opportunity to serve people, the speed and scale of development increase
"Double engine" government increases the pace of development
Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023: PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi to bolster party campaigns today
> For the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually interacting with around 50 lakh party workers
> Congress' Rahul Gandhi is set to interact with fisherfolk at Kapu (Kaup) in Udupi district, and address a public meeting at Mangaluru
Karnataka Elections 2023: Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan takes pot shots
"After independence, Mahatma Gandhi had said to abolish Congress Party, but Jawaharlal Nehru did not listen to him and made Congress a political party. Nehru did not listen to Mahatma Gandhi, but Rahul Gandhi said that he will listen to Bapu and finish the Congress. Rahul Gandhi is engaged in the campaign to finish Congress," Chouhan said while campaigning in Belagavi.
Karnataka Assembly Polls: Vote for Congress, BJP has looted people, says Priyanka Gandhi
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra during her first roadshow in Karnataka urged the people to vote for the Congress in the May 10 polls.
"The upcoming election is important for Karnataka. Vote for Congress," she said. The Congress General Secretary also spoke about unemployment, price rise and removal of 4 percent quota under the BJP government saying they have "looted the people of the state with scams such as PSI recruitment, seeking commission from contractors and more".
Karnataka Elections: With Lingayats pushing back, BJP struggles to subsume caste identities within Hindutva narrative
Karnataka Elections 2023: Bolstered by its 2019 sweep, BJP replaced Yediyurappa with Bommai, and promoted Hindutva narratives on hijab, Tipu Sultan, etc. But the Hindutva tilt hasn’t yielded dividends and the strategy to reduce the party’s overdependence on the Lingayat community came close to backfiring... Read More
Karnataka Polls 2023 LIVE: Conscious not to continue religion-based quota, state tells SC
The Karnataka State Government has told the Supreme Court it has taken a "conscious decision" to not continue reservation based on religion as it is "unconstitutional". The reply came as the state scrapped the provision of 4 percent quota for Muslims under the OBC category.The state was replying to a number of petitions that challenged the 4 percent quota in government jobs being scrapped and given instead to Vokkaligas and Lingayats.
Congress used 'religion' to come to power: Rajnath Singh
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on April 26 alleged that the Congress used "mazhab" (religion) to come to power. He also criticised the party for bringing 4 percent reservation for Muslims under OBC quota, during its term and termed it as "appeasement"
Karnataka Elections 2023 LIVE: Campaigning on in full swing as election date nears
With less than two weeks left for the State Assembly Polls on May 10 in Karnataka, political parties are going all-out to campaign to the masses.
The BJP has sent out a battery of campaigners in Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, party general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Arun Singh, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. PM Narendra Modi is also set to have a virtual interaction with party workers from 15 assembly constituencies at 9:30am today.
While the Congress has sent big-guns Priyanka Gandhi, and state leaders Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar. And Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to hold interactions with fisherfolk at Kapu (Kaup) in Udupi district, and address a public meeting at Mangaluru today.
For the JD(S), patriarch and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and his son and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy have been leading their party's campaign.
News Alert:
In the run up to Karnataka elections, PM Modi to have a virtual interaction with party workers from 15 assembly constituencies at 9:30am.
LIVE:
Good morning and welcome to Moneycontrol's LIVE coverage of the Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023 scheduled on May 10. Stay tuned for the latest news, developments and updates!
