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
Hinduism is the religion of foolish people.
They worship Cow, Rat, Monkey, Pig etc.........
Drinks Cow urine as theertha, and throws milk on stones
But doesnt know how to treat humans.
Hinduism is in the declining stage, so they are trying to protect hinduism by attacking on others for no reasons. Because they are scared people.
Dear proud Hindu, if you have guts, please go to Kerala/ Bengal / Tamil Nadu and stop Hindus from eating beef. Hindus are eating beef in these states more than muslims do. If gow matha is so sacred for Hindus, why dont you go to Nepal and stop slaughtering hundreds of cows in the temple festival there. Why are you so jealous.
No need to explain anything just see below & comment.
Largest beef suppliers of India.............
1. Mr. Shatish - Mumbai
2. Mr. Sunil - Mumbai
3. Mr. Madan - Delhi
4. Mr. Bindra - Chandigarh
would see a developed India if these goons has guts to do it to a murderer or rapist who are free outside...........
By the way last noon at sullia i saw a bull mating a cow....any solution to give GO Maa a Bedroom than going to streets....
Suhag Raat for cows first. Sauchaalay comes next
Mr suresh one day ur mom or sister will suffer same humiliation then u will under stand ..shameless creature
If you have the guts go and stop slaughtering and exporting cattle to many foreign countries. Double standard idiots.
Do they respect their own real mata sitting at home....forget it do they put a little grass for cows which loiter around city streets...all these things happening around are bullshits... and election gimmick....UP Election...coming.....expect more and more dalits and women will be beaten everywhere....please be careful...
Muslims please do not eat beef at least until UP election.....after which hindutva group themselves will sell cows for muslims....
Proud Hindu............be proud on Good things......you are following what evil is taught to you
Mohan pajir
You must be sleeping these days or pretending to be slept. Do you know gowmatha slaughtering by your brothers in Goa and north east states. Do you who stands first in the world in beef exxport. Its your brothers and children of gowmatha.
i love eating beef !!!!! u guys really need to taste them its awesome...slrruuuuuppppppppp .... then u ll forget about this maatha pitha and all :)
the word is \napunsak\""
looks like guys like proud hindu, mohan & srikanth .doesnt mind when our hindu sisters getting raped and murdered and yet they dont want justice for them
rather they want to beat women in the name of holy meat
@ Mohan Pajir
U need to do surveillance in night time bec ur gomatha, ur mother sleeping in road and without food sometimes ...
take care about that first then u look for ur own mother
Screaming 'Gav Mathaa ki jai' 'Bharat Maatha ki jai' by beating a real alive maatha (women).
ISIS campaigning in US by killing and attacking people there and here Sangh campaigning for BJP by these activities.
Cowards.
mr mohan, pajir
first go and save your matha.[feed her.] shame on you man
Proud Hindu, Mohan Pajir, Suresh Mahajan........Why are you hiding in RAT HOLES when your Go mathas are killed in Gujrat for export..... India is the highest beef supplier to gulf countries..... They are all eating and enjoying your Go Matha provided by Gujrat..... Go and show your Mardangi in Gujrat ....
SAFFRON TERRORISTS, NOT ACTIVISTS,
its not a gau maatha its their pitha...(Buffalo not a cow)
Nothing to say about the Hijda Police..... Naren / Bopanna ,,,do have any comments..... This buffalo meat will become Cow meat in another 6 months..... Chamatkar of Modi Sarkar......shame..
India tu kya se kya hogaya!!!
Society should be ruthless towards those who mercilessly kill cows and eat its meet. Funny thing is that they can kill Gau maatha and eat its meet but we are not even supposed to touch their maatha!!!??? What kind of rules is this???
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