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Karnataka Assembly Polls 2023 LIVE Updates: The last leg of campaigning for Karnataka Assembly Polls will see bigwigs from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Indian National Congress (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 Narendra Modi's popularity will see them through. A total of 113 seats are needed for a simple majority — a feat BJP has never achieved. The prime minister will be reportedly involved in about 15 public meetings and roadshows over six days, giving the BJP campaign a significant push. In all, there are 2,613 candidates in the fray for the May 10 2023 Karnataka Assembly Elections after the last date for withdrawal of nominations on May 1. According to the final list of candidates shared by the Election Commission (EC), 185 women candidates and one from the ‘Others’ category are contesting. While 224 candidates are from the ruling BJP, the Opposition Congress has fielded 223, and the Janata Dal (Secular) has fielded 207 candidates.
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Unaccounted cash to the tune of over Rs 4.5 crore was seized from a villa in Bangarpet Taluk here in poll-bound Karnataka, police said.
Acting on a tip-off, the police raided a car belonging to a realtor, in which cash was found in gunny bags. Upon searching the village, more cash was recovered. The money was meant to be distributed among voters for the May 10 assembly elections.
Ever since the model code of conduct came into force in the state on March 29, seizure worth Rs 331 crore has been made, which includes Rs 117 crore cash, Rs 85.53 crore worth gold and Rs 78.71 crore worth liquor.
Some 30 Bajrang Dal workers assembled in front of Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan in Paldi area of the city and burnt an effigy having images of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi.
Amid chants of 'Jai Shri Ram', the protesters pasted stickers that said the Congress was a "Hindu virodhi" party.
"The protest was held because the Congress has compared Bajrang Dal to the Popular Front of India (which has been banned for anti-national and subversive activities). This shows the Congress is anti-Hindu," Bajrang Dal's Ahmedabad city president Jwalit Mehta said.
Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje said the PM would now hold a road-show on two days - on Saturday from 10 am to 1.30 pm , and from 10 am to 2.30 pm the next day.
The party had on Wednesday said Modi would hold a 36.6 km road-show here on Saturday, covering a distance of 10.1 km from 11 am to 1 pm, and 26.5 km from 4 pm to 10 pm.
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi likened the promised ban on Bajrang Dal to locking up Hanuman and his devotees, former deputy chief minister K S Eshwarappa burnt the Congress manifesto, and Bajrang Dal activists tore the Congress document, hit it with slippers and held rallies in several parts of the state demonstrating their protest.
With emotions running high, Congress felt the heat. All the issues around which the grand old party wanted to fight the May 10 assembly elections have been put on the backburner as party state president D K Shivakumar in damage control mode took up a temple run.
At Chamundi Hill in Mysuru after paying obeisance to Goddess Chamundeshwari, the Goddess of Mysuru, as well as Anjaneya, Shivakumar promised to either build more Hanuman temples or renovate the existing ones all over the state. (PTI)
We have filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India against the campaign of the BJP, the way PM Modi is using Hindu gods and goddesses to seek votes and also the way his roadshows are causing inconvenience to the people. SC has already issued guidelines in this regard: SA Ahmed, Congress Legal Cell, Bengaluru
Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar after visiting Chamundeshwari temple in Mysuru said if the Congress party wins the election, they will build Lord Hanuman temples all over the state.
"We have a commitment to the development of Anjaneya (Lord Hanuman) temples across the state if the Congress party comes to power. Our party will also prioritise the construction of new Anjaneya (Lord Hanuman) temples in various parts of the state": DK Shivakumar
Candidates who faced personal tragedies recently are making emotional appeals in their election campaigns to gain the sympathy of voters while many older ones are making the 'last election' pitch.
Can sentiments alone make a political candidate win an election?
Uddhav Thackeray, head of Shiv Sena (UBT), claimed that while PM Narendra Modi is using the 'Jai Bajrang Bali' slogan to solicit votes in Karnataka, his father Bal Thackeray was disenfranchised for seeking votes on the basis of religion.
"PM has said, "say Jai Bajrang Bali & cast your vote." There was no need to invoke Bajrang Dal or Bajrang Bali in Karnataka Elections. Public welfare should have been spoken of. So, if the PM tells people to vote by saying "Jai Bajrang Bali", I'd like to tell all Marathi-speaking people there (in Karnataka) to vote by saying, "Jai Bhavani, Jai Shivaji" and defeat those who oppress you": Uddhav Thackeray
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) claimed that though the Congress is now aware that it has "committed a sin by defaming Bajrang Dal", the people of Karnataka will not pardon it.
The VHP asserted that the state's electorate would hold the Congress accountable for its "sin" in the assembly elections on May 10 and asked that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge apologise to the Hindu community and immediately have his party's manifesto revised.
Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal supporters protested in various regions of Karnataka against the Congress election manifesto, which proposed banning Bajrang Dal if the party won power in the state.'Hanuman Chalisa' was also chanted in some places.
Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis slammed Congress over its promise to ban Bajrang Dal, questioned as to how an organisation which never got engaged in anti-national acts could be banned, and went on to say all Bajrangis will put Congress in its proper place.
"Karnataka is with PM Modi. In this nation, who will accept it if someone says that we will ban Bajrang Dal? How can they ban those who think for betterment of the country? Bajrang Dal has never done any anti-national activity. If you will talk about banning Bajrang Dal then all the Bajrangi who have blessings of lord Hanuman will show Congress its place," said Fadnavis.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress General Secretary, attacked the BJP government, claiming its "corrupt policies" were driving up the prices of essential commodities and services.
She claimed that the BJP government in Karnataka is known as the "40% commission government'.
"BJP government is in power for 3 years. Whenever there is a new government it tries to create a new identity…. isn’t it sad & shameful that Karnataka BJP is known as “40% Sarkar”? This name was not given by any party, but was given by the contractors who were forced to commit suicide...": Priyanka Gandhi Vadra
