Bengaluru: The Congress and BJP will lock horns on the electoral battleground again in less than a fortnight in Karnataka, as the stage is set for the second phase of elections in the 14 remaining Lok Sabha seats on Tuesday.
It is going to be a straight fight between the ruling Congress and BJP in Parliamentary segments in the northern districts. The JD(S) is not contesting in these seats and is supporting its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partner -- the BJP.
The state has a total of 28 Lok Sabha constituencies. The first phase of polling in 14 seats in most of the southern and coastal districts was held on April 26.
A total of 227 candidates -- 206 men and 21 women -- are in the fray for the second phase.
More than 2.59 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in 28,269 polling stations where voting will take place between 7 am to 6 pm.
The segments where elections will be held on Tuesday are: Chikkodi, Belgaum, Bagalkot, Bijapur, Gulbarga, Raichur, Bidar, Koppal, Bellary, Haveri, Dharwad, Uttara Kannada, Davangere and Shimoga.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, BJP had swept all these 14 seats, defeating Congress and JD(S), which were in alliance and ruling the state then.
Having scored a thumping victory in the Assembly elections last year, the Congress now appears determined to put up a strong show.
Karnataka is the most important state for the BJP in south India as it's only here that it has held power in the past.
Speaking to PTI, Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Meena said adequate security arrangements have been made for Tuesday's polling.
"Around 1.45 lakh polling officials have been deployed across the 14 constituencies. In addition, 35,000 civil police personnel, 65 companies of Central Paramilitary forces and armed police of other states will be deployed for the polling day," he said.
Besides this, 4,000 micro-observers will also be on duty and 17,000 polling stations will be covered by webcasting, he added.
Davangere has the maximum number of 30 candidates, followed by 23 in Shimoga and Raichur has the least number - eight.
Former Chief Ministers Basavaraj Bommai (Haveri) and Jagadish Shettar (Balgaum), Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi (Dharwad) and Bhagwanth Khuba (Bidar) -- all from BJP; Congress' Geetha Shivrajkumar (Shimoga) -- wife of actor Shivrajkumar and daughter of former CM S Bangarappa and AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge's son-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani (Gulbarga), are among the prominent names in the fray.
Also in the contest are MP and veteran BJP leader B S Yediyurappa's son B Y Raghavendra, suspended party leader and former Deputy CM K S Eshwarappa -- both from Shimoga, former Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri and ex-Minister B Sreeramulu of BJP from Uttara Kannada and Bellary respectively and retired IAS officer G Kumar Naik of Congress from Raichur.
Stakes are high for several Ministers in this phase with their children in fray.
Sons of Ministers Laxmi Hebbalkar and Eshwar Khandre - Mrinal Ravindra Hebbalkar and Sagar Khandre - are contesting from Belgaum and Bidar respectively, while daughters of Ministers Satish Jarkiholi and Shivanand Patil -Priyanka Jarkiholi and Samyukta Patil- are in contention in Chikkodi and Bagalkot respectively.
Prabha Mallikarjun, wife of Minister S S Mallikarjun and daughter-in-law of veteran Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa, is in the fray from Davangere.
The Congress' performance in the elections, especially in the second phase which covers almost all Lingayat-dominated districts, is crucial, as the party did not win one of them in 2019, and to also check whether the grand old party has managed to retain the support of a section of Lingayats -- considered as the BJP's core vote-base -- which seemed to have somewhat shifted towards it in the 2023 Assembly polls.
The Lok Sabha election is being seen as a big test of sorts for Congress state unit chief D K Shivakumar, who has made no secret of his ambition to become chief minister, amid speculations of change in guard mid-way of the Assembly term. The stakes are also high for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, as victory in this election is seen as key to strengthening his hands, analysts say.
It is also seen as a kind of a "litmus test" for state BJP president B Y Vijayendra, who has the onerous task of helping the party retain its supremacy in the Lok Sabha polls, by regaining its traditional Lingayat vote-base.
Ensuring a BJP sweep is paramount for the son of veteran leader B S Yediyurappa, to consolidate his position and silence critics who have questioned his selection to the post, overlooking seniors and seasoned hands.
The ruling Congress is mostly banking on the implementation of its populist five guarantee schemes while the BJP seems to be leveraging the "Modi factor" to the hilt.
Comments
C.M. Ibrahim..unfit to be a Muslim
Hey guys!
Don't you have anything else to do? Commenting and issuing Fatwa on each and every silly things?!!! CMI is a politician who will yell anything that yield him political mileage. And for preaching, this is not a platform for it either. May be you were not aware that the famous Lulu's Yousuf Ali donated to Viswa Hindu Parishad's International Conference in London recently.
Navoodu Billah, even we cant say Nabi Sws as god, we can only say fi Naari jahanam
No wonder if cm calls pejavara as god he has different gods everywhere ,he bow AP ustad too while AP followers say Allah Akbar to AP ..which is big shirk?
I think there is third 'walking god' which mr.ibarhim forgot to mention in his speech mr, kantapuram musliyar. Mr, ibrahim is really a lucky person for getting 'holy trinity'.!!!!
\CM\" Go adress the function but do not SALE your faith in cheap rate."
Fee nari jahannum.....
Ibrahim Lost his mind
All those who commented here failed to realize the greatest \Hikmah\" hidden behind CM Ibrahim's statement. He is just following the model of our greatest prophet Hazrat Ibrahim (a.s), who had stated that moon is god and son is god. His intention was to convince the Mushrik that they are not gods.
Similarly when those two walking gods leave this world, our CM ibrahim will go to Udupi and say: \"See all are dead. the one who is alive and will be alive forever is the only true god\"...
hahaha.. am kidding."
Dear all,
I am Not supporter of any politician........
He said that GOD, Please do Understand he did not call him \ALLAH\", When COW can become GOD Mother, why can't be Mr. Seer be a God, after all their are 33 crores of GODS.
Why should we give give importance , as called him a GOD, Let them add another GOD in the list, as RECOMMENDED BY Mr. IBRAHIM"
C. M. Ebrahim now in ATTH BITTH
Nahoodu Billhah.
Is he a real Muslim or Name sake Muslim.I really Wonder,Even Hindus do not believe pejavar sree as GOD.Nor pejavara Sree Quoted himself as a GOD.In one of his interview i heared C.M Ibrahim introduced H.D Devegavda as MANEDEVAARU.I really dont understand Why he is giving GOD'S Status to the Human being.
I know Muslims do not entertain or believe in such policies...
I do remember this CM Ibrahim's 20 year old speech in Bengaluru. He was addressing a muslim gathering. Here are the excerpts:
\Ee CM Ibrahim 100% Musalmaan. Jafar Sharif haage 50% Musalmaan alla naanu. Ee kade Maseedigu hogtare aa kade devastaanakkoo hogatare namma 'kaafar' sharif\".... Naanu eega thaane hajj maadi bandiddene\"....
And now what the hell he is saying?"
confession of hypocrisy.
First of all he does not know the main message of Islam which is oneness of God. (even if he knows it, still does not know the seriousness of God).
Ulema the scholars say 1 third of Quran(almost 200pages OR 10Parts of Quran) is only about oneness of God.
This is the key of Islam. Unless a person knows it(Oneness of God), he can not go forward to learn Islam.
Islam is based on this oneness. So, Islam does not allow for associating anything with the God. Even the Gods special qualities can also be not seen in others.
Even a negligible minute portion can not be equated to that one and only God, who controls the entire universe.
Even we can not say our mother, father also to the level of God.
It is the duty of every Muslim not to make such mistakes of equating anything with the God. This is called as Shirk associating someone with the God.
May Allah forgive our mistakes, help us to learn the fact and share with others.
What about Devegowda ? he made him party president, union minister. May Allah guide him to right path.
Why only two gods? Include Kalladka Bhat and make it three gods! Perfect Trinity
He is already Durga Poojary, it is no surprise that he says whoever God. Thee are some more big so called leaders smilar to Mr. Ibrahim's category who prays and also becoming President of Uroos etc. Even one of our Vice Chancellor also in his grade.
All these people are giving wrong signal to others about our religious.
It is welcome to go and speak at Swamys's presence but not in this level.
Marle..
La haula wala quvvata illa billah....
This fellow went to Kerala and declared AP Ustad as greatest auliya allah
Now went to Udupi and declared pejawar seer as god..
Now tell me who is great- auliya or god?
If Pejawar seer is god, who is his messenger? CM Ibrahim himself?
When U depend on Gori rituals it will take you to this height.. Graves are not for asking prayers. it is to reminds us muslims to recognise the blessing of ALLAH and our fate to end up in the graves. When we make the Graves our protector. The end result will take YOU to such steps which doesnt recognise the TRUE creator even after praying and making zikr hundreds of times...
If U ask, Ask ALLAH alone and trust him. Never depend on something which prophet muhammd pbuh never taught us. ALLAH is our protector - No need any intermedite to reach our creator. AL -hamdullillah.
The photo is very suitable for this report. CM Ibrahim raising his finger and reciting Kalima shahadah... \Ash-hadu Pejawar swami bla bla bla...\""
Yes Yes... Pejawar seer is god for saabis like CM Ibrahim.. Not for Hindus, for whom he is just a great swamji.. We are upper religion. our relgion's seers are their religion's gods... ahahaha
To Fathima, Dubai. Your statement is wrong. How you agree two god. Do you have sense. If you think like that, you done shirk. So make thouba and pray almighty Allah for your wrong statement.
He is an opportunists!
Baqoul shayer (about politicians )
Unka kiya hai ?
Wo to apne baap bhi badaltey hai !
This is the sign of Jaahil!
Ok Ok. Karnataka has two gods.. agree.. Now tell me Kerala has how many gods??? Only one?
If he belives there if God other than Allah , He is no more Muslim.
If he Belive There is God other thean Allah , He is no more
There no GOD but ALLAH.. and QURAN challenges the creation to VERIFY what is said in the QURAN to prove false... If U dare please TRY.
ALLAH says in QURAN : Say \ If the mankind and the jinns were together to produce the like of this QURAN, they could NOT produce the like thereof, even if they helped one another\" - QUran 17:88
And if YOU are in doubt concerning that which WE have sent down (The QURAN) to our slave (Muhammad pbuh) then produce a surah(chapter) of the like thereof and call your witnesses (supporters and helpers) besides ALLAH. if YOU are TRUTHFUL - Quran 2:23
Worship the CREATOR not his CREATION."
SSF's spokes person. lol
There is no GOD but ALLAH & Muhammd pbuh is last and final messenger of GOD who came after prophets like Jesus, moses, abraham, noah and Adam and several other messenger that ALLAH has sent to the people who worshiped the man made Gods and idols. Their only concern was people should worship the CREATOR who created us all. & not fall TRAP to the so called gods which is man made...
CM ibrahim is showing and strengthening u to the path of FALSEHOOD which he himself need to answer to the one who gave us Soul.
Dear HINDU brothers ... Look for QURAN , u will be cleared of who is GOD and Who are the agents of Devil which is also a creation of God.
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