Karnataka Elections 2018 : Rahul slams Narendra Modi over BJP leader bribery sting; updates

With just one more day to go for the Karnataka Assembly election, the voter ID card row continues while the Congress corners BJP over an alleged bribery sting. Catch all Karnataka polls updates here.

 

Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 » With voting just a day away, the BJP and Congress’ high-voltage campaign for the Karnataka Assembly election 2018 has ended. The campaigning in the run-up to the crucial polls saw everything from a cross-fire of barbs to a voter ID row.

On the last day, Congress President Rahul Gandhi slammed the Modi government for issues ranging from atrocities against Dalits to the country’s foreign policy as he expressed confidence in winning the Karnataka polls “hands down”. BJP President Amit Shah, meanwhile, accused the Congress of making desperate attempts to win the election in an “undemocratic” way, adding that such machinations would not work and that his party would win 130-plus seats.

On Saturday, voters in the state will decide who got it right.

The Congress’ candidate from Bengaluru’s Raja Rajeshwari Nagar Assembly segment has been booked in connection with the recovery of close to 10,000 voter ID cards from a flat there, along with over 100,000 counterfoils resembling acknowledgement slips used for addition of names into electoral rolls.

Further, the Election Commission (EC) on Thursday night deferred a decision on the recovery of voter ID cards from the Raja Rajeshwari Nagar flat, even as it sought fresh information from the state election machinery.

Of course, the end of the official election campaign at 5 pm on Thursday did not mean that the allegations and accusations also stopped. Rahul Gandhi on Thursday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over allegations that BJP leader B Sriramulu had bribed former Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan.

The accusation is based on a “sting” video showing the state BJP leader allegedly trying to bribe a kin of the former Chief Justice of India to get a favourable verdict for mining baron G Janardhana Reddy in an illegal mining case. State electoral authorities on Thursday directed TV news channels not to air the video.

The election in 223 of the 224 constituencies in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly will be held on May 12, and the counting of votes and announcement of the result will take place on May 15. The election for one constituency has been postponed following the death of B N Vijay Kumar, the Jayanagar BJP candidate.

Get Latest Updates on → Karnataka Elections 2018

Karnataka Elections 2018: Campaigning ends today; voter ID row continues; updates

With Karnataka Assembly election 2018 now on their heads, the BJP and Congress have just one more day to convince and woo voters. Catch all the updates around the Karnataka election here

Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 » With the Karnataka Assembly election 2018 just two days away, the BJP and Congress’ high-voltage campaigning will come to an end on Thursday at 5 pm. Eyeing to sweep the crucial polls, the political parties will hold multiple rallies today in their last attempt to woo the voter. For the BJP, party president Amit Shah and the party’s chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa will be campaigning in the state today, while Congress President Rahul Gandhi and incumbent Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will campaign for their party on the final day.

Apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress chief Gandhi, the Karnataka election campaign has also seen political heavyweights Sonia Gandhi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath campaign for their respective parties.

The last day of campaigning for the Karnataka polls comes after Prime Minister Modi and Congress chief Gandhi were face-to-face in the state on the second last day for the campaigning. Working seriously on his ‘Congress Mukt Bharat’ mission, Modi used all of his oratory skills to lambast the Congress in his four election rallies on Wednesday. On the other hand, Gandhi said in his Basavanagudi rally that the people of Karnataka would reject Prime Minister Modi and the BJP. The Congress president also attacked the Prime Minister for being silent on the issue of alleged Dalit atrocities.

The election in Karnataka will be held on May 12 in 223 constituencies, out of the 224 constituencies of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, while th e counting of votes and announcement of result will take place on May 15. The election for one constituency has been postponed following the death of B N Vijay Kumar, the Jayanagar BJP candidate.

Last day of Karnataka polls campaigning today: The high-voltage campaigning for the crucial Karnataka Assembly polls will come to an end on Thursday at 5 pm. The campaign has seen Modi, Shah, Adityanath, Yeddyurappa and other BJP leaders square off against Congress chief Gandhi, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, and Siddaramaiah, with both parties going hammer and tongs at each other over who has neglected farmers more and who has more corrupt candidates in the fray, among other topics of contention.

Also Read : Fake Voter ID Row

Karnataka Elections 2018 : Sonia Gandhi questions Modi’s ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’ slogan

The Congress leader said,” Modi is a good orator and speaks like an actor but that would not feed people”.

Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 » Holding her first election rally in two years, UPA chairperson president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday accused the Modi government of discriminating against Congress-ruled Karnataka, and questioned his slogan of ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’.

Launching a counteroffensive against the prime minister, who has relentlessly targeted the Siddaramaiah government over corruption, she wanted to know what happened to the institution of Lok Pal, the anti-graft watchdog that was proposed to be set up.

“The Modi government is discriminating against our government in Karnataka. Is this your ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’ (together with all, development for all)?” she said.

The Congress leader said,” Modi is a good orator and speaks like an actor but that would not feed people.”

The much-awaited Lokpal Bill got the presidential assent in January 2014, providing for the creation of an anti-graft watchdog which will bring under its purview even the prime minister with certain safeguards. However, the institution is yet to be set up.

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Also Read :  Lok Sabha Elections 2019 : Ready to be PM if Congress comes to power, says Rahul Gandhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday accused the Congress of pursuing a ‘divide and rule’ policy on a day when Congress president Rahul Gandhi said he was ready to be prime minister if his party wins 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The day was also marked by the debut of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in the Karnataka Assembly campaign and complaints by the Congress that the income-tax department was singling out the party’s leadership for raids.

The election campaign ends on Thursday and the state goes to the polls on Saturday. Counting will be held on May 15.

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Full Updates on → Karnataka Elections 2018

Karnataka Elections 2018 : Over 9,000 voter IDs seized from Bengaluru house; updates

Three days before Karnataka Assembly election 2018, a ‘fake’ voter ID row has erupted in the poll-bound state, with BJP and Congress accusing each other of involvement. Catch all the update here.

Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 » Just three days before Karnataka Assembly election 2018, the Election Commission of Karnataka on Tuesday confirmed that its officials recovered 9,746 Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) from an apartment in Bengaluru’s Jalahalli area of the Raja Rajeshwari Nagar constituency. Reacting to the development, the BJP demanded cancellation of polling in Raja Rajeshwari Nagar, accusing the Congress of trying to “rig” the polls. Congress hit back, saying that a BJP leader was the owner of the Bengaluru flat from where the ‘fake’ voter cards had been found.

The development came hours after former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi faced off against each other while campaigning in Karnataka. The prime minister and the UPA chairperson attacked each other with stinging barbs, with Modi accusing Gandhi and her son (Congress President) Rahul Gandhi of destroying Congress to save the “dynasty”, and Gandhi saying Modi’s speeches alone could not “fill empty stomachs”.

Polling in the Karnataka Assembly election 2018 will be held on May 12 and the results will be out on May 15.

Nearly 10,000 voter IDs seized from a Bengaluru flat: The Election Commission of Karnataka on Tuesday confirmed that they recovered 9,746 electors photo identity cards from an apartment in Bengaluru’s Jalahalli area, which falls under the Raja Rajeshwari Nagar constituency. In a midnight briefing on Tuesday, Chief Electoral Officer for Karnataka Sanjiv Kumar said that according to the preliminary verification, the ID cards were of actual electors and appeared to be prima facie genuine.

Apart from the IDs, five laptops, one printer, and two large steel trunks with counterfoil strips resembling acknowledgement slips of Form 6 used for addition of names onto the electoral rolls were also recovered from the apartment during the raid. Kumar added that the significance of the counterfoils can only be verified after due investigation.

The state election commission added that an FIR has been registered in the matter and further investigations will be conducted on the same. It further assured that in the next 24 hours, when more information is available, firm action will be taken.

Read Full Updates here → Fake Voter ID Row

Karnataka Elections 2018 : Farmers are in distress but a loan waiver may not help

Karnataka’s farmers, battling drought and water shortage, have been under dire financial duress.

Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 » The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) manifesto for the Karnataka assembly elections 2018 released on May 4, 2018, declared that farm loans upto Rs 100,000 in nationalised banks and cooperative societies would be waived. A few days earlier, the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate and party state president B.S. Yeddyurappa promised a waiver of agriculture loans in both nationalised banks and cooperative societies if his party came to power, hoping, as a consequence, he said, for a 3-4% rise in vote share for his party.

As Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, running the only Congress government in southern India, tries to remain in favour of the electorate ahead of the May 12 elections to the state assembly, he has his task cut out. Among other steps, the government waived Rs 8,165 crore of farm loans from cooperative banks in 2017, claiming this would benefit more than 2.2 million farmers.

Rural Karnataka, which accounts for 154 (69%) of the state’s 224 legislative constituencies, has to remain the primary focus. Karnataka’s farmers, battling drought and water shortage, have been under dire financial duress, and how well the Siddaramaiah government is seen to handle this challenge will be among the factors that will determine a positive outcome for his government.

While the government is implementing the farm loan waiver, experts believe that the such a move will help in the short-run to win elections, but will not help in the welfare of farmers in the long term till agriculture is made more remunerative.

In both districts, families in which farmers had killed themselves said the ex-gratia compensation of Rs 500,000 had not diminished their loan burden, primarily because erratic rainfall and unremunerative prices have squeezed incomes, perpetuating dependence on moneylenders.

Nevertheless, the farmers and their families said they appreciated the support provided by the government in the form of loan waivers and ex-gratia compensation, despite delays in paying out monthly pensions. Farmers we spoke to in Yadgir said that they would vote for the present government, while in Mandya which has strong Vokkaliga (sect) presence and is a Janata Dal (Secular) stronghold, they are undecided, although they were not unhappy with the government.

Read more on → Karnataka Farmers

Karnataka Elections 2018: BJP fields most criminals, Congress the richest candidates

BJP at the first spot and Congress at second position in giving tickets to candidates with criminal background in Karnataka Assembly Election 2018. Catch latest updates on Karnataka polls 2018.

 

Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 » The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is at the first spot and the Congress is at the second position in giving tickets to candidates with criminal background in the Karnataka Assembly Election 2018, says a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

The top three candidates with highest assets among all the candidates in fray belong to the ruling Congress — Priyakrishna, from Govindarajanagar constituency with Rs 10.20 billion worth total assets, N Nagaraju from Hosakote Assembly seat with assets valued at Rs 10.15 billion and the state Energy Minister D K Shivakumar from Kanakapura segment with Rs 8.4 billion assets.

The ADR released the report after analysing the affidavits filed by 2,560 candidates, which said that 391 candidates declared criminal cases against themselves.

Of the total candidates, the watchdog could not analyse details of 95 candidates belonging to national, regional, local and fringe parties, as their affidavits were badly scanned or were incomplete on the websites of the karnataka polls panel and the Chief Electoral Officer of the southern state.

“Among major parties, 83 (37%) out of 224 candidates from BJP, 59 (27%) out of 220 candidates analysed from Indian Nataional Congress, 41 (21%) out of 199 candidates analysed from Janata Dal (Secular) [JD(S)], 5 (20%) out of 25 candidates analysed from Janata Dal (United) [JD (U)] , 5 (19%) out of 27 candidates analysed from Aam Aadmi Party [AAP] and 108 (10%) out of 1090 independent candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits,” said the report.

“There are 254 (10%) candidates who have declared serious criminal cases registered against themselves, four candidates have declared case related to murder (Indian Penal Code Section-302) against themselves, and 25 candidates have declared cases related to attempt to murder (Indian Penal Code Section-307) against themselves,” said the report, adding that “23 candidates have declared cases related to crime against women”.

Read More on → BJP Candidates

Karnataka Elections 2018 : How Telugu vote may swing the ‘waveless’ election

About 15% of Karnataka’s population is estimated to be Telugu speaking and Telugu is the third most spoken language in Karnataka after Kannada and Urdu.

Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 »With less than 10 days left before the Assembly elections in Karnataka, politicians are busy slugging it out and political pundits are coming up with varied predictions on an everyday basis. Almost all opinion polls have predicted the possibility of Karnataka giving a fractured mandate and throwing up a hung assembly.

Pollsters agree that Karnataka is an extremely tough state to predict because of the different voting patterns of different regions, the caste equations, local issues etc. In the end, a swing of 1 or 2% of the votes can make all the difference.

The significance of Telugu votes

In a waveless election, where every seat is seeing cut-throat competition, a few thousand votes can decide who can emerge victorious. And in the bitter battle for Karnataka, Telugu votes will play a significant role.

Telugus are the third largest ethnic group in Karnataka. About 15% of Karnataka’s population is estimated to be Telugu speaking and Telugu is the third most spoken language in Karnataka after Kannada and Urdu.

Several districts in Karnataka share connections with Andhra Pradesh. In Raichur and Ballari, many farmers from Andhra Pradesh have taken up farming while the Hyderabad Karnataka region, which has 40 seats, has a Telangana connection.

At least 12 districts of Karnataka have a sizeable Telugu population – Tumakuru, Chitradurga, Ballari, Koppal, Raichur, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Bidar, Bengaluru City and Bengaluru Rural. The four districts of Bidar, Kalaburagi, Kolar and Ballari have a significant share of almost 30% Telugu voters. While Bangalore Urban and Rural, have 49% and 65% Telugu-speaking population respectively, the figures for Kolar, Bellary and Raichur are 76%, 63% and 64% respectively.

Hyderabad-Karnataka districts have a historical and cultural connection with neighboring state of Telangana too.

Bengaluru, which accounts for 28 seats has about 25 lakh Telugu voters. Many businessmen, real estate agents, hotel owners, labourers and software industry professionals from Chittoor, Kurnool, Hindupur and Anantpur districts of Andhra Pradesh have settled in the Garden City. The presence of these Telugu voters is bound to influence the poll verdict.

Estimates suggest that these Telugu voters may be an influential factor in at least 40 assembly constituencies across the state. In the aftermath of the TDP exiting the NDA and Chandrababu Naidu blaming Narendra Modi for being insensitive towards the demands and needs of Telugus, it will be very interesting to see how they vote in Karnataka.

Read More on  → Karnataka Elections 2018

Karnataka Elections 2018: BJP fields 83, Congress 59 candidates with criminal background

The ADR released the report after analysing the affidavits filed by 2,560 candidates, which said that 391 candidates declared criminal cases against themselves.

Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 » The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is at the first spot and the Congress is at the second position in giving tickets to candidates with criminal background in the Karnataka Assembly Elections, says a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

The ADR released the report after analysing the affidavits filed by 2,560 candidates, which said that 391 candidates declared criminal cases against themselves.

“Among major parties, 83 (37%) out of 224 candidates from BJP, 59 (27%) out of 220 candidates analysed from Indian Nataional Congress, 41 (21%) out of 199 candidates analysed from Janata Dal (Secular) [JD(S)], 5 (20%) out of 25 candidates analysed from Janata Dal (United) [JD (U)] , 5 (19%) out of 27 candidates analysed from Aam Aadmi Party [AAP] and 108 (10%) out of 1090 independent candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits,” said the report.

“There are 254 (10%) candidates who have declared serious criminal cases registered against themselves, four candidates have declared case related to murder (Indian Penal Code Section-302) against themselves, and 25 candidates have declared cases related to attempt to murder (Indian Penal Code Section-307) against themselves,” said the report, adding that “23 candidates have declared cases related to crime against women”.

Red Alert Constituency:

• The report says that Red Alert constituencies are the constituencies which have three or more candidates with declared criminal cases.
• There are 56 (25%) red alert constituencies in the Karnataka Elections 2018, said the report.

 Crorepati Candidates:

• The ADR report says that around 35 percent of the analysed candidates are crorepatis. Out of the 2560 candidates analysed, 883 are crorepatis.
• Among major parties, 208(93%) out of 224 candidates from BJP, 207 (94%) out of 220 candidates analysed from Indian National Congress, 154(77%) out of 199 candidates analysed from JD(S), 13(52%) out of 25 candidates analysed from JD(U), 9(33%) out of 27 candidates analysed from AAP and 199 (18%) out of 1090 independent candidates have declared assets worth more than Rs. 1 crore.
• The average of assets per candidate contesting in the Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 is Rs 7.54 crore.

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Karnataka Elections 2018: Narendra Modi chides Congress; Siddaramaiah reminds him of 'Reddy gang'

There is a fierce competition between the BJP and Congress for Karnataka Assembly election 2018. PM Modi and Yogi Adityanath will address rallies in Karnataka today. Catch Karnataka polls 2018 updates.

Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 » Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi were in battleground Karnataka on Thursday, crossing swords over a plethora of issues including corruption, ahead of the May 12 voting to elect a new government in the state.

While Modi played a nationalism card and accused the Congress of promoting only one family, Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at him for his “personal attacks” that “doesn’t behove” of a person holding a high office.

Modi alleged that the Congress had insulted the Indian Army by questioning the truth behind 2016 surgical strikes against terrorists in Pakistan. He said the Congress was spreading “lies” by accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of being anti-Dalit, anti-Muslim and anti-women.

Seeking to give an adrenaline boost to BJP campaign to wrest the state from the Congress and form its government for a second time, Modi addressed three election meetings and Rahul Gandhi four during their whirlwind trip.

The Karnataka government is a “gold medalist” in corruption and Congress leaders are “drunk on power”, Modi told a public meeting in state capital Bengaluru.

Dubbing the Siddaramaiah government as “seedha rupaiah government” (corrupt), a punning allusion to the chief minister’s name, Modi said an ordinary man cannot get done any work without bribing officials. “Because of this seedha rupaiah government Karnataka is immersed in debt,” he told an election rally in Ballari.

In the line of Congress fire over the BJP granting party tickets to Reddy brothers, accused of involvement in a humongous illegal iron ore mining scam, the prime minister hit back. “This Karnataka government frustrated all attempts by the Centre to stop illegal mining in Ballari….to allow the auction of mining blocks. But the Siddaramaiah government failed to formulate a mining policy in five years,” he told an election rally in Ballari.

Rahul Gandhi, who addressed election rallies in Aurad, Bhaki, Humnabad and Bidar, slammed Modi for personal attacks against him. Gandhi, however, said whether the attacks on him were right or wrong, he would not make any personal attack on Modi because he was the prime minister.

He questioned his silence over the controversial Rafale fighter jet deal and fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi who defrauded the Punjab National Bank of thousands of crores of rupees.

Rahul Gandhi said Modi had promised to deposit Rs 1.5 million (Rs 15 lakh) each in poor citizens’ bank accounts but didn’t do it. Gandhi said Modi also promised 20 million (two crore) jobs to the youth every year and higher minimum support price to farmers but he did none of this.

Read More  → Karnataka Elections 2018 War

Karnataka Elections 2018 : Narendra Modi gets fact on Indian Army wrong; full updates

Days before the Karnataka Assembly election 2018, Prime Minister Modi and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi are repeatedly crossing swords. Catch the Karnataka election campaign updates here.

Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 » Karnataka election has seen vigorous campaigning by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi crossing swords over a plethora of issues, including corruption. While Modi said the Karnataka government was a “gold medalist” in corruption and that Congress leaders were “drunk on power”, Gandhi hit right back accusing the BJP of corruption in Rafale fighter jet deal and protecting fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi. The prime minister will on Friday interact with the office-bearers and workers of the BJP’s Karnataka women’s wing through the NaMo App.

Further, after the BJP complained to the Election Commission (EC) over what it alleged was the Congress’ attempt at playing the “communal card” in the poll-bound state to woo Muslim voters, the Congress on Thursday complained to the EC against the BJP’s Karnataka unit for “getting published false and misleading advertisements” in newspapers to malign the public image of Rahul Gandhi and Siddaramaiah.

Voting in the Karnataka Assembly polls will be held on May 12, 2018, in all 224 constituencies of the state Legislative Assembly. The counting of votes and announcement of results will take place on May 15, 2018.

Siddaramaiah highlights Modi gaffe on General K S Thimayya:

• Hitting back at Modi, Siddaramaiah retweeted former AAP leader Yogendra Yadav’s tweet pointing to an alleged gaffe by Modi during his speech at Kalaburagi on Thursday. While addressing poll rallies in Karnataka, Modi said the Congress is a party that has disrespected the armed forces. “Forgetting the national heroes, patriots and history is the nature of a family in the Congress. (Jawaharlal) Nehru and V K Krishna Menon insulted General (KS) Thimayya, who had to resign. They neglected General (K M) Cariappa,” Modi told an election rally, as he sought to connect with the voters of the home state of the two legends of the Army.
• Modi said, “India defeated Pakistan in 1948 under the leadership of Field Marshal Thimayya. But after the valour, General Thimayya who saved Kashmir was repeatedly insulted by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and the then defence minister V K Krishna Menon and because of which General Thimayya had to resign from his post. I want the new generation of Karnataka to know about Congress party’s attitude towards the chief of army, who was the son of Karnataka.”
• Yadav tweeted, “No sir, Krishna Menon was Defence Minister from April 1957 to October 1962. Thimayya was Army Chief from May 1957 to May 1961. Sir can’t the PMO afford a fact-checker? It’s so embarrassing!”

 Read more updates here → Karnataka Elections 2018

Karnataka Elections 2018 : Can Narendra Modi bring in the 20-30 extra seats that BJP needs?

Until now, the BJP has struggled to strike a chord among voters beyond its traditional support base of Lingayats, upper castes and urban voters.

Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 » Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address nearly 20 public meetings over the next 10-days ahead of Karnataka elections, three of which he addresses today. The respective leaderships of the three principal political players in the contest have awaited Narendra Modi‘s entry into the Karnataka poll campaign with anticipation. It has been the only imponderable in an election campaign that has followed a predictable course in the last few weeks.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Hindutva project in Karnataka has run into the wall of deeply entrenched caste loyalties, and the absence of any significant anti-incumbency against the Siddaramaiah government. As things stand, it has again fallen on the shoulders of the PM to rescue his party from a certain defeat, but also to stop the Congress’ march towards the majority mark of 113-seats in the 224-member assembly. The polling is on May 12, and counting of votes on May 15.

Until now, the Bharatiya Janata Party has struggled to strike a chord among voters beyond its traditional support base of Lingayats, upper castes and urban voters. Even among the Lingayats, the Siddaramaiah government’s recommendation to the Centre to grant minority status to the community is likely to eat into the BJP’s vote share, particularly where the Congress has fielded Lingayat candidates. Several of the smaller Lingayat Mathas run educational institutions clearly understand the benefits minority status will accrue to these institutions immediately, and to the community in the long term.

While erroneous, they have conveyed to their followers that the benefits to the community would be similar to what the Scheduled Castes get. The Vokkaligas continue to stand behind HD Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular), while there are indications that Siddaramaiah’s AHINDA – a Kannada acronym for tribals, dalits, minorities and OBCs, including Kurubas – have found a reason in his government’s social welfare schemes to continue their support to him.

People across all castes agree that BS Yeddyurappa, in terms of social welfare schemes, ran an effective government. But Siddaramaiah government has been more effective in building awareness about its schemes, which came at a crucial time. Some of the regions of the state have faced three successive years of drought.

Even the Lingayats, because of the teachings of their 12th century philosopher Basavanna, aren’t as amenable to the appeal of aggressive Hindutva as in northern India. The question gnawing BJP-Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leadership and rank and file is whether Modi will be able to work his magic in Karnataka.

Narendra Modi trashes Karnataka election opinion polls, says BJP will win; top updates

With the Karnataka Assembly Election 2018 days away, Modi has launched BJP’s campaign in the state with 15 scheduled rallies; Chief Minister Siddaramaiah says he is not perturbed by the blitzkrieg.

Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 » Confident of a BJP victory in Karnataka too, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday ruled out a hung Assembly after the May 12 elections. “There is no way there will be a hung Assembly as is being predicted. We are confident of coming to power in Karnataka too,” said Modi at a huge public meeting in Karnataka’s northwest region, about 500 km from Bengaluru. Recalling that the Congress had lost nearly 12 states that it was ruling, Modi told the gathering that as that party feared a loss in the ensuing polls, its leaders were spreading lies and fear among the people about a hung Assembly. Opinion polls by various agencies have projected a hung Assembly for the southern state with the ruling Congress or the opposition BJP having an edge in the 225-member legislative house, including one nominated.

“I appeal to you all to vote for a party with full majority. That is when you can hold the government responsible,” Modi said. Urging voters to bring the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to power under the leadership of its chief ministerial nominee B.S. Yeddyurappa, Modi said his party was ready to answer for its every action and be accountable to the people. Yeddyurappa, 75, was the party’s maiden Chief Minister in the state and south India when it was elected to power for the first time in May 2008, but lost to the Congress in the May 2013 Assembly elections after he split the BJP and formed the Karnataka Janata Party, leading to a division of votes.

The state’s veteran politician of the dominant Lingayat community, however, returned to the BJP in 2014 and contested in the 2014 general elections, winning from the Shivamogga Lok Sabha constituency in the Malnad region.

Accusing the Congress government in the state of shielding sand mafias, Narendra Modi said those who loot cannot be accepted to remain in power. They must go,” he reiterated. “The Congress promotes intolerance and violence. There can be nothing worse than attack on the Lokayukta,” charged Modi alluding to the knife attack on the state’s anti-graft watchdog in Bengaluru on March 7. Modi also accused the Congress of disrespecting former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, which was not acceptable. “If such is the mindset, how can they think good for the people of Karnataka,” wondered Modi, as the grand old party had also never respected Babasaheb Ambedkar or accepted his views.

Karnataka is slated to witness a three-corner contest, involving the ruling Congress, the BJP and the H D Deve Gowda-led JD(S). The result of the election will be announced on May 15.

Karnataka Elections 2018 : Every region is different, holds a key to power

Ahead of the Karnataka polls 2018, Aditi Phadnis looks at where the major political parties stand in different regions of the state. Catch latest updates on Karnataka assembly elections 2018.

Coastal Karnataka (19 seats)

Districts: Dakshina Kannada, Udupi (South Canara) and Uttara Kannada (North Canara)

Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 » In the 2013 election, because of the split in the vote of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) between the Karnataka Janata Pakshe of B S Yeddyurappa and the BJP, the Congress was able to drive home its advantage.

This time, on the surface it appears that all the factions in the BJP are together and want to establish a BJP government in Bengaluru. With the Janata Dal (Secular) having only a marginal presence in this area, in the 2018 assembly election it will be a straight fight between the two national parties.

Old Mysore (61 seats)

Districts: Mysuru, Mandya , Hassan, Chamarajnagar, Ramanagaram, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru

This is the area owing allegiance to the erstwhile Maharaja of Mysore and is politically dominated by the Vokkaliga community. Dalits are present here in large numbers as well. Among Vokkaligas, immediate recall is for JD( S) founder, former Prime Minister, and former chief minister HD Deve Gowda, who belongs to Hassan. Politically influential, the BJP is not a traditional force in this region — it is dominated by the Congress and the JD(S). In 2013 the JD(S) got 40 seats in the assembly —the largest chunk of this came from this region.

Having said that, the BJP did badly in this region in the 2013 assembly election but reported victories with a large margin in the Lok Sabha elections less than a year later, possibly because of Narendra Modi’s image. Will that work this time ?

Bangalore (28 seats)

Districts: Bengaluru rural and urban

Bengaluru is a cosmopolitan city with a sizeable population of educated middle class who have origins in other state but have now made Karnataka their home. This vote bloc also leans towards the BJP. There is also an important migrant population — largely Tamil-speaking but also Malayalam- and Telugu-speaking — that is part of the Bengaluru electorate.

There are some rural enclaves attached to what is primarily an urban voting region. Issues like delivery of services, state of the physical infrastructure, corruption, land mafia and its connections with political leaders are all hotly contested issues.

But then, with its traditional vote bank and that of the minorities and more, the Congress is also a major player and not a mere pushover in this region.

→ Karnataka Elections 2018

Karnataka Elections 2018 : Will Siddaramaiah stay as CM? Congress high-command to decide

The senior Congress leader alleged that such rumours were being constructed to deliberately create a rift in the party.

Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 » Senior Congress Party leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday stated that the party high command would decide the chief ministerial candidate in poll-bound Karnataka.

Speaking to ANI, Kharge said he was hopeful of incumbent Chief Minister Siddaramaiah being chosen as the party’s candidate.

“Ahead of the elections in Karnataka, all preparations are being done under the supervision of Siddaramaiah itself. He is the current chief minister, and therefore, there is no question of another candidate being chosen. He is serving his duties well, and I am hopeful that he will be elected at the chief ministerial candidate by the high command, including party president Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Kharge sparked reports that Siddaramaiah might not be the Congress’ automatic choice for chief minister of Karnataka if the party came to power for a second consecutive term in the state.

Responding to this, the senior Congress leader alleged that such rumours were being constructed to deliberately create a rift in the party.

“I have heard from media outlets that some people highlighting certain reservations I have about Siddaramaiah being the chief ministerial candidate. However, such reports are not to be believed. There is a group of people trying to create a rift in the party, but this is not in good taste,” he said.

On a related note, Karnataka will go to polls on May 12 to elect representatives to the 225-member state assembly.

The results will be out on May 15.

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Karnataka Elections 2018 : Congress taunts Narendra Modi for protecting the ‘Bellary Gang’

Congress media in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala also accused the BJP of betraying Kannadigas and protecting the Reddy brothers.

 

Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 »The ruling Congress on Tuesday taunted the Narendra Modi government for letting off Karnataka’s infamous Reddy mining brothers and fielding three of them for the May 12 state assembly elections.

“The Modi government has become the benefactor, protector, defender of the Bellary Gang (Reddy brothers) for denuding Kannadigas of their rich natural resources through its puppet CBI,” Congress media in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala said.

Terming the iron ore mining scam in the state biggest, Surjewala said the then anti-graft watchdog Justice Santosh Hegde exposed the unholy nexus of BJP’s chief ministerial face B.S, Yeddyurappa with the Reddy brothers.

“The state Lokayukta’s report of July 27, 2011, led to the removal of Yeddyurappa as the BJP’s first Chief Minister in the south on July 31, 2011. No wonder Yeddyurappa and Reddy brothers are jailbirds,” noted Surjewala.

Accusing the BJP of betraying Kannadigas and protecting the Reddy brothers, the party official said iron ore valued at Rs 350 billion was mined, extracted and sold to domestic and export markets illegally, as revealed in the probe report.

On return to power after the May 2013 assembly elections, the Congress government asked the CBI on November 18, 2013 to probe into the brazen loot of iron-ore and siphoning off Rs 350 billion by sale and export of iron ore through 9 seaports such as Karwar and New Mangaluru Port Trust on the west coast, in coastal Karnataka, Panaji and Murmagoa in Goa, Ennor and Chennai in Tamil Nadu and Krishna Pattanam; Vishakhapatnam and Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh.

“Undeterred by the conspiracy to protect the Bellary Gang and put a lid on the illegal iron-ore mining scam”, our government has shown the courage of conviction to prosecute and punish the looters of precious natural resources of Karnataka,” added the party official.

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