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
Kill the killer, no need wait revenge is the good medicine in DK.. brothers dont wait search and kill them if they 3 also kill them
Ashraf is a rowdy sheeter. Why the CD report hid this fact?
inna lillahi wa inna ilayi raji'un : Surely we belong to ALLAH and to Him shall we return...
Dear SDPI ... Be patience and Use your intellect .... Dont get angry like the Ignorant do.
Seriously heart ranching murder, whoever murdered should be punished please brothers dont continue, weak heart people cant c this anymore.
you succeeded in this life and hereafter ....but who ever did it will bear the cost
INDIAN LAW IS EQUAL TO ALL
inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un
to those who dislike eye for an eye solution, what would you do if he was your blood relative? would your view be the same? wait for the investigation and wait for years and years for justice? People like you will always be around. Justice has to be done right now no matter what.
No matter if killed .....he offered the service which the killer didnt understand .......
May he be guided or he will be guided by the right way in right person and right time
strange to see the comments today lacks of people killed due to hate of religion ..and why it started in india ... guys pray for him RIP
only in india we are safe we should believe in our law
@Viren
I think you are a rowdy sheeter. Not him. he was facing not even a petty case in any police station.
Rightly said Natasha.
Serpents like Viren are spewing venom in the society and they will be destroyed
Dear Viren,
because of idiots like you. Hindu and Muslim Became enemy. There was a time when Idiots like you was not even born in our India. we used be like Brothers. May The Curse of Allah be on you/ May Allah Give u Hidayath..
Dear Coastal digest,
I m regular reader of your Website, I dont read any other news paper. I am seeing Viren Comment from years and i just control my patient. if next time i find any comments which spread hate abt Islam or Hindu or any religion and you people post it. That will be the last day and i will issue a ban poll on ur website.
Sorry if i hurt u in my words. May Allah bless you
inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajiwoon!
when injustice becomes law, Resistance Becomes Duety!
Silence is a Crime!
#i Stand with SDPI
Mullan Mullininda thegibeku kanoooooo
Just watch and see; it is started...........
good to see people find viren offensive ans not HANE ..
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