Bypolls to 15 assembly constituencies in Karnataka will take place on Thursday (December 5).
Karnataka Bypolls LIVE updates: Campaigning for the December 5 Karnataka bypolls ended on Tuesday. Bypolls to 15 constituencies in Karnataka are scheduled for Thursday. The seats fell vacant after 17 Congress-JD(S) alliance MLAs defected and were disqualified.
In 13 seats, the BJP has fielded Congress-JD(S) turncoats. The ruling party needs to win at least six of the 15 seats to retain its majority in the 224-member House. Election results will be out on December 9.
56 candidates in fray for 4 constituencies in Bengaluru. Over 14.48 lakh voters, including 20,262 from age group 18-19 expected to exercise franchise.
Bengaluru city will go dry for four days, owing to the bypolls in four constituencies. The Bengaluru city police announced that liquor stores will be closed from 6 pm on December 3 to 12 am of December 5.
Highlights
Just a day ahead of the Karnataka bypoll, officials from the Income Tax and Excise Department searched the residence of former speaker and Congress candidate from Ranebennur assembly constituency K.B. Koliwad on Tuesday late night. READ
It is a battle of the turncoats for the Mahalakshmi Layout Assembly bypoll on December 5. Disqualified JDS(S) MLA K Gopalaiah, who is now with the BJP, will take on JD(S) candidate Girish K Nashi, who was with the Congress until recently.
“Gopalaiah’s decision to join the BJP will be something that he would regret later. Being the party supremo’s close aid to finding himself on the rival side is not a good sign for any politician,” a top JD(S) leader told Indianexpress.com.
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The Bharatiya Janata Party needs to win at least six seats out of 15 to remain in power in Karnataka.
At present, BJP has 105 members out of the total 208 seats leaving out 17 seats which are vacant due to disqualification. The support of independent MLA H Nagesh (also a minister now) makes it 106.
With elections yet to be announced in 2 constituencies - Maski and RR Nagar - BJP needs to win six more seats to attain the simple majority of 112. (223 in total with 2 seats vacant).
North Karnataka - Gokak, Athani, Kagwad, Ranebennur, Hirekeruru, Yellapur and Vijayangar. Old Mysore region- K.R. Pete and Hunsur and Bengaluru City and rural-Mahalakshmi Layout, Yeshwantpur, K.R. Puram, Shivajigar, Hoskote and Chikkaballapur will be going to the polls on Thursday.
Officials of the Income Tax an Excise department jointly carried out raids at the residenc of Congress candidate from Ranebennur assembly segment K Koliwad. The searches took place on Tuesday night at the Ranebennur residence of the former Assembly Speaker, following complaints of hoarding of liquor and cash, officials said "Following a complaint about the hoarding of liquor and cash of Rs 10 crore, we raided the place. We didn't fin anything," Haveri Excise chief, Nagashayan told reporters.
The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee accused the BJP of “planning large-scale booth capturing to rig elections” in Bengaluru’s KR Puram Assembly constituency, where bypolls are to be held on December 5.
Congress leaders from the city said Byrathi Basavaraj, the disqualified MLA who is contesting as the BJP candidate, along with other leaders, has “planned to capture booths” 33 booths.
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56 candidates in fray for 4 constituencies in Bengaluru all set for bypolls on Dec 5. Over 14.48 lakh voters, including 20,262 from age group 18-19 expected to exercise franchise. While the police has identified 284 critical stations, 44 stations have been termed vulnerable.
With seven-time MLA R Roshan Baig missing in the fray from Shivajinagar for the first time in over three decades, the constituency in Bengaluru is all set to witness a tight contest this time around. | READ
Bengaluru city will go dry for four days, owing to the bypolls in four constituencies. The Bengaluru city police announced that liquor stores will be closed from 6 pm on December 3 to 12 am of December 5. According to the order signed by Bengaluru city police commissioner Bhaskar Rao, the liquor shops will also be closed from December 9 on account of counting of votes. | READ
The Karnataka government has declared a holiday to all government offices, schools and colleges on December 5 in view of the bypolls to the 15 Assembly constituencies.
The holiday will be applicable only in the constituencies going for bypolls. Employees who are registered as voters in any of the poll-bound constituencies can avail of paid leave on December 5.