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
Aditiya Anand is a Hard core communal Hindu terrorist working under the shelter, protection and with the support of BJP. Second one is shakshi maharaj. They are not the saints or Sadhus but are the goons only to terrorize the minority classes as well as scheduled castes and backward classes.The government is keeping a blind eye toward these anti social elements.They must be controlled and debated from anti-social activities at the earliest possible. otherwise government of India will have to face the revolt from within the party folds. As there are people who are against such elements and do not want to set these bhagwa/saffron dressed miscreants free from the clutches of the law and order. The ministry of HOME Affairs must turn the cannons of law and order towards these anti-social...anti religious....anti law....anti humanism people.
Fake yogi
Put him in jail
AIMMM must file a case (nirbhaya a Ct?)
The trails and full investigation should in camera and identity of the victims shouldn't revealed.
Dear coastal digest my humble request with you please do not post PSYCHIATRISTS comments.
Naren potian can you send your sister to this place?
#RUC taken many action on it with their team
first of belated happy new year wishes for ultra nationalist Indian s ,who thinks nation first and religion second ...hahaha Look at the frustration among Itch guard users from one particular community ... all fake news .sorry to say CD is not at all posting news in which islamic millitants committing henious crimes and terrorists acts , be it in malda or in Bihar or pathankot ... even papa al quaida terrorist sikkagle in bangalore, chummah antha ummah kottu , chumma chumma dede antha ummah ge hurt agbardu antha news ne haakalla ..this shows the maturity of this news media , fake victimisation is new found technic by muslims but everybody knows the truth mama.. One particular religion on daily basis kidnaps 1000's of non muslim gals based on instruction from headless and rapist preachers , who scream for jihad ... we know how these piece piece religion sells women in petrol pumps of raqqa,syria on USD basis ... hahaha .
Ley fairman , we are not living in ISIS controlled or saud family ruled rogue nation to behead democratically elected person .. India mama idu ... sorry Hindusthan kano .. acha kannadali bharatha khanda mams idu ..yenne haakidya henge guru ... mostly local haakirbeku ... filter less agi , olagade iro true attitude aache bandide ... hahaha
anyways long live RSS , Jai bajrangdal ... Jai yogi adithya nand ...we must learn from Israel to counter anti national terrorists , Intifada maadthini anno munde maklanna shivana paada kke seristha iro israelis are really great .. avarigu jai andu bidona ... hara hara modi ... jai jai modi ... bholo bharath mata ki jai ... bholo sangh parivar ki jai ...
Is Judiciary exist in the country and vigilant on the rule of law and feels its responsibility to protect the minorities
Are these girls Sunni or Siya.?
How some young men becoming nexalites, terrorists, decoits???
because of \gomuka vyagra\" criminals existing in our places.
To take revenge youngsters are becoming terrorists to teach a lessons to these anti nationals.
This man along with his groups should be banned and arrested.
But the Government is supporting these goons because the Government is governed by RSS ( who are the God father for all these criminal terrorists)."
ALLAH will allow to cross the limits to Evil doers ,,,then he will catch them in their necks, but the time will be over to repent........................but we have to work hard to bring back glory of Muslims not ISLAM,..........ISLAM will prevail as ALLAH will take care of it
Be honest
Be vigilant if Religion or Women comes under attack
Be Prayfull
Dont sit at home and think that Duaa is enough...if its true then Allah created Humans when Angles were there already...its a test to all of us
This guy deserves to be beheaded immediately and his daughters to be just kidnapped and treated good, so that he and his followers learn well.
Ya it is true. yogi should be banned from india
seriously, AIMMM dont have any work to do.
what non sense it is,
YA ALLAH save us from Such human devils.
Oh Ummah, please be alert because devils are roaming freely.. because the Word of ALLAH is kept in the SHELF ...
& also
Our prophet said be UNITED
Groups say : Don't UNITE by adding their own version to TRUE ISLAM.
Think which Group is asking U NOT to GET UNITED?
ALL types of devils will run away when we act upon the word of ALLAH...
Lets not be a MUSLIM only by name... We should act as a MUSLIM. U just need to take the step... ALLAH will help U fight such devils in ins & jinns. There is no POWER nor MIGHT except with ALLAH.
one more allegation, what are we. what are we hearing, seriously we common people are not understanding.
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