What happened in the 2018 elections, when the last polls were held?

The 2018 Assembly election results did not give any party a clear majority. After the results, the BJP was called to form the government as the single-largest party, with 104 MLAs in a House of 224. However, the Congress and JD(S) quickly came together and assembled 116 names (Congress 76, JD-S 37 and three independents) to remove it. Within a year though, the Congress-JD(S) had been toppled when 17 of their MLAs resigned from the Assembly — after being holed up in a resort in Mumbai leading up to this — and switched sides to the BJP. Karnataka BJP stalwart BS Yediyurappa became the chief minister but resigned on July 26, 2021. He was replaced by Basavaraj Bommai, who, like Yediyurappa, hails from the Lingayat community.

What is the main challenge for the BJP in Karnataka?

In both its terms in government (2008-13 and 2019 to date), the BJP did not win a clear majority in Karnataka, the only state it is in power in south India. But here is perhaps the biggest roadblock: Karnataka has never voted an incumbent back to power in 40 years.

What are some of the key conversations playing out ahead of the Karnataka polls?

Karnataka is by and large governed by specific, local factors. Hence, its caste-matrix and regional specificities have dominated the conversation at the time of the candidate selection and will likely do so going forward.

Who are the big players in Karnataka?

Naturally, the BJP, whose core base is said to be among the dominant Lingayat community. The Congress has a strong local cadre, with bastions across the state. Over the years, it has also found the backing from the SCs and STs in the state (Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is a tall Dalit Congress leader from the state). The Janata Dal (Secular) – the party of former prime minister Deve Gowda – has an influence in the old Mysuru region in the state's South. It is considered that the JD(S)'s best bet is another fractured verdict like in 2004 and 2018, which would place it - like before - in the kingmaker’s seat.

How important are the Lingayats?

At nearly 17 per cent of the population, Lingayats are believed to be the state’s single largest community and reside mostly in North and Central Karnataka districts. Until the 1990s, the Lingayats, followers of Basavanna, a social reformer, largely voted for the Congress. In 1989, it formed the government in the state with the largest majority ever, 179 out of the 224 seats in the Assembly, because of the Lingayat votes mobilised by Veerendra Patil. Then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi’s dismissal of Patil in 1990 is said to have moved the Lingayats away from the Congress towards the BJP. This also led to the rise of BS Yediyurappa as the community’s face in the BJP. He remains its most popular leader, despite alleged attempts to sideline him. Congress, too, is trying hard to woo the Lingayat community with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi leading the outreach by visiting important pilgrimage sites for Lingayats, prominent mutts and more recently participating in Basava Jayanti celebrations.

What about the Vokkaligas?

Said to be the second-largest community in the state, they have historically voted either for the JD(S) or Congress. Former Prime Minister Deve Gowda and Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar are from the community. Several constituencies of the Vokkaliga heartland are bastions for the JD(S) and Congress, and BJP has stepped up its efforts to make inroads in the region during the upcoming election.

How have different parts of Karnataka voted over the years?

Kalyana Karnataka: Earlier called Hyderabad Karnataka, this part has remained a Congress stronghold. The party is working on improving its tally there this time, and is hoping the election of Kharge — who hails from the region — as the AICC president will generate a “wave” to further boost its prospects. Analysis of results across 40 constituencies of the region shows the Congress has won more than 50 per cent of these in the last two elections, while the BJP has lost some ground it had gained in the 2008 polls. Coastal Karnataka: The BJP produced a stirring performance in the coastal regions of Karnataka in 2018, winning 18 out of a total of 21 seats. It has been a saffron party stronghold. While the Congress could only manage to secure three seats, down from 13, JD(S) got zero. Bombay Karnataka: In 2018, the BJP won 30 out of the 50 seats here, in a reiterating signal of its support from the Lingayats. The Congress got 17 seats. Central Karnataka: It comprises a total of 32 constituencies and has kept offering rich dividends to the BJP over the last decade and a half. Save for the 2013 Assembly polls, the BJP has bagged the most seats in the region since 2008. In 2018, the BJP won 21 of the seats, the Congress seven and the JD(S) won four. Old Mysuru: This region has so far only seen close contests between the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular). When Union Minister Amit Shah launched the BJP’s Karnataka election campaign last December from Mandya in the southern part of the state, his underlying message for party workers was clear: make further inroads here. Across all of the state’s Assembly polls, the BJP has struggled to cross the double-digit mark in the 48 constituencies in the region’s eight districts. South Karnataka is dominated by the Vokkaliga community that has largely favoured either the JD(S) or the Congress over the years.

What about Bengaluru? Who performs well in the city?

The Congress has been faring better than the BJP in the Bengaluru Urban district, which comprises 28 seats, in the last two Assembly polls. But the 2017 defections that precipitated the fall of the JD(S) and Congress coalition government give the BJP a slight edge in the urban hub.

Are we looking at any Karnataka CM faces?

The BJP has so far not declared a CM face, just as the Congress. In Congress, though, the race is largely considered to be between Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah — who both have a strong group of loyalist party leaders rallying behind them.

BHIWANI Constituency Haryana Assembly Election 2024: Get BHIWANI Assembly Election details, party wise candidates list and vote share

RESULTS IN PAST ELECTIONS

Year

Winning Candidate

Party

2019

Ghanshyam Saraf

2014

Ghanshyam Saraf

2009

Ghanshyam Saraf

CANDIDATE LIST 2024

Candidate name Party/ Alliance Assets/ Liabilities

Abhijeet Lal Singh Rs 1,67,83,000 ~ 1 Crore+

Cases Age Education

0 36 Graduate Professional

Anand Kumar Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 25 12th Pass

Comrade Raj Kumar Rs 11,09,574 ~ 11 Lacs+

Cases Age Education

0 61 5th Pass

Dr. Pawan Kumar Sharma Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 62 Doctorate

Ghanshyam Saraf

Cases Age Education

0 60 Graduate

Indu Rs 43,40,200 ~ 43 Lacs+

Cases Age Education

0 40 Graduate Professional

Jagat Singh Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 70 10th Pass

Jogender Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 35 12th Pass

Karambir Yadav Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 30 Graduate

Mahabir Bohra

Cases Age Education

0 59 10th Pass

Om Prakash Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 65 Post Graduate

Pankaj Tayal Rs 8,47,059 ~ 8 Lacs+

Cases Age Education

0 35 Graduate Professional

Pawan Fouji Rs 9,00,000 ~ 9 Lacs+

Cases Age Education

0 56 Post Graduate

Rajeev Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

14 42 10th Pass

Ram Avtar Sharma

Cases Age Education

0 63 Graduate

Ram Kumar Rs 2,00,000 ~ 2 Lacs+

Cases Age Education

0 57 10th Pass

Satish Kumar Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 34 Post Graduate

CANDIDATE LIST 2019

Candidate name Party/ Alliance Assets/ Liabilities

Ghanshyam Saraf Rs 1,97,42,214 ~ 1 Crore+

Cases Age Education

0 55 Graduate

Aman Tanwar Raghav Rs 6,99,163 ~ 6 Lacs+

Cases Age Education

0 45 Post Graduate

Amar Singh Haluwasia Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 62 Graduate Professional

Amit Balmiki Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 37 12th Pass

Anil Kathpalia Rs 76,035 ~ 76 Thou+

Cases Age Education

0 42 8th Pass

Dinesh Alias Lala Pahalwan

Cases Age Education

0 44 10th Pass

Dr. Shiv Shanker Bhardwaj Rs 2,09,23,771 ~ 2 Crore+

Cases Age Education

0 65 Post Graduate

Jagat Singh Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 66 10th Pass

Jai Bhagwan Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 0 10th Pass

Jai Parkash

Cases Age Education

0 41 5th Pass

Kuldeep Singh Rs 15,10,000 ~ 15 Lacs+

Cases Age Education

0 51 Graduate

Narender Kumar Sharma Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 54 Post Graduate

Neeraj Kumar Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 32 12th Pass

Pawan Kumar Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 33 10th Pass

Raj Kumar Basia

Cases Age Education

0 56 5th Pass

Rajender Singh Yadav Rs 12,50,000 ~ 12 Lacs+

Cases Age Education

0 46 Graduate Professional

Satish Kumar Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 29 Post Graduate

Suresh Chand Rs 2,00,000 ~ 2 Lacs+

Cases Age Education

0 65 Illiterate

CANDIDATE LIST 2014

Candidate name Party/ Alliance Assets/ Liabilities

Ghanshyam Saraf

Cases Age Education

0 51 Graduate

Ajay Haluwasia Rs 20,000 ~ 20 Thou+

Cases Age Education

0 39 Graduate Professional

Anup Kumar Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 49 8th Pass

Ashok Buwaniwala Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 45 Post Graduate

Ashok Kadyan Rs 6,00,000 ~ 6 Lacs+

Cases Age Education

0 26 10th Pass

Basant Kumar Sharma

Cases Age Education

0 37 12th Pass

Bhoop Singh Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 30 12th Pass

Bishamber Arora Rs 28,50,000 ~ 28 Lacs+

Cases Age Education

0 52 12th Pass

Deepak Kumar Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 42 8th Pass

Dr Shiv Shanker Bhardwaj Rs 22,13,490 ~ 22 Lacs+

Cases Age Education

0 60 Post Graduate

Jai Parkash Kaushik Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 35 8th Pass

Maman Chand Rs 6,32,498 ~ 6 Lacs+

Cases Age Education

0 36 Graduate

Neel Kanwal Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 58 Post Graduate

Pankaj Tayal Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 26 Graduate Professional

Paramjeet Singh

Cases Age Education

0 50 Graduate Professional

Pradeep Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 60 10th Pass

Puran Chand Rs 70,000 ~ 70 Thou+

Cases Age Education

0 47 12th Pass

Raj Kumar Rs 8,88,567 ~ 8 Lacs+

Cases Age Education

0 54 8th Pass

Rajender Singh Rs 2,20,000 ~ 2 Lacs+

Cases Age Education

0 55 Graduate

Ram Pratap Sharma

Cases Age Education

0 64 Graduate Professional

Ramesh Verma Rs 3,50,000 ~ 3 Lacs+

Cases Age Education

0 53 10th Pass

Ramphal Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 40 10th Pass

Ranvir Singh Rs 93,30,241 ~ 93 Lacs+

Cases Age Education

0 49 Post Graduate

Sanjay Kumar Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 35 Graduate

Satpal

Cases Age Education

0 34 12th Pass

Smt. Nirmala Devi Saraf Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 75 8th Pass

Sunil Kumar Rs 20,000 ~ 20 Thou+

Cases Age Education

0 39 12th Pass

Sunil Kumar Sharma Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 44 Graduate

Vedpal Rs 86,96,540 ~ 86 Lacs+

Cases Age Education

0 38 8th Pass

Vijay Kumar Sharma

Cases Age Education

0 45 Others

Vinod Kumar Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 36 Literate

CANDIDATE LIST 2009

Candidate name Party/ Alliance Assets/ Liabilities

Ghanshyam Saraf Rs 48,89,100 ~ 48 Lacs+

Cases Age Education

0 46 Graduate

Bhishamber Rs 52,000 ~ 52 Thou+

Cases Age Education

0 47 12th Pass

Bhupender Singh Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 33 Not Given

Comrede Raj Kumar Rs 4,82,000 ~ 4 Lacs+

Cases Age Education

0 50 8th Pass

Daya Nand Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 32 10th Pass

DR. SHIV SHANKAR BHARDWAJ

Cases Age Education

0 55 Post Graduate

Kusum Sharma Rs 6,30,712 ~ 6 Lacs+

Cases Age Education

0 37 Post Graduate

Laxmi Narayan Aseeja Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 39 Illiterate

Mahesh Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 27 Post Graduate

Om Parkash Mann

Cases Age Education

0 57 Graduate Professional

Paramjeet Singh Maddu Rs 6,64,000 ~ 6 Lacs+

Cases Age Education

1 46 Graduate Professional

Ram Phal Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 35 Not Given

Ramesh Chander Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 37 12th Pass

Ramesh Verma Rs 10,000 ~ 10 Thou+

Cases Age Education

0 48 10th Pass

Ramotar

Cases Age Education

0 33 Not Given

Ravi Kumar Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 46 Not Given

Ravi Shankar Rs 1,50,000 ~ 1 Lacs+

Cases Age Education

0 50 Graduate

Shiv Kumar Rs 3,50,000 ~ 3 Lacs+

Cases Age Education

0 33 10th Pass

Vaas dev Singh Rs 50,000 ~ 50 Thou+

Cases Age Education

0 51 Illiterate

Vasudev Sharma

Cases Age Education

0 56 Graduate Professional

Vinay Parmar Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 32 Not Given

VIRENDER KUMAR Rs 0 ~

Cases Age Education

0 42 Graduate

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Bhiwani Elections 2024

Latest News

RESULTS IN PAST ELECTIONS

CANDIDATE LIST 2024

Abhijeet Lal Singh Rs 1,67,83,000 ~ 1 Crore+

Anand Kumar Rs 0 ~

Comrade Raj Kumar Rs 11,09,574 ~ 11 Lacs+

Dr. Pawan Kumar Sharma Rs 0 ~

Ghanshyam Saraf

Indu Rs 43,40,200 ~ 43 Lacs+

Jagat Singh Rs 0 ~

Jogender Rs 0 ~

Karambir Yadav Rs 0 ~

Mahabir Bohra

Om Prakash Rs 0 ~

Pankaj Tayal Rs 8,47,059 ~ 8 Lacs+

Pawan Fouji Rs 9,00,000 ~ 9 Lacs+

Rajeev Rs 0 ~

Ram Avtar Sharma

Ram Kumar Rs 2,00,000 ~ 2 Lacs+

Satish Kumar Rs 0 ~

CANDIDATE LIST 2019

Ghanshyam Saraf Rs 1,97,42,214 ~ 1 Crore+

Aman Tanwar Raghav Rs 6,99,163 ~ 6 Lacs+

Amar Singh Haluwasia Rs 0 ~

Amit Balmiki Rs 0 ~

Anil Kathpalia Rs 76,035 ~ 76 Thou+

Dinesh Alias Lala Pahalwan

Dr. Shiv Shanker Bhardwaj Rs 2,09,23,771 ~ 2 Crore+

Jagat Singh Rs 0 ~

Jai Bhagwan Rs 0 ~

Jai Parkash

Kuldeep Singh Rs 15,10,000 ~ 15 Lacs+

Narender Kumar Sharma Rs 0 ~

Neeraj Kumar Rs 0 ~

Pawan Kumar Rs 0 ~

Raj Kumar Basia

Rajender Singh Yadav Rs 12,50,000 ~ 12 Lacs+

Satish Kumar Rs 0 ~

Suresh Chand Rs 2,00,000 ~ 2 Lacs+

CANDIDATE LIST 2014

Ghanshyam Saraf

Ajay Haluwasia Rs 20,000 ~ 20 Thou+

Anup Kumar Rs 0 ~

Ashok Buwaniwala Rs 0 ~

Ashok Kadyan Rs 6,00,000 ~ 6 Lacs+

Basant Kumar Sharma

Bhoop Singh Rs 0 ~

Bishamber Arora Rs 28,50,000 ~ 28 Lacs+

Deepak Kumar Rs 0 ~

Dr Shiv Shanker Bhardwaj Rs 22,13,490 ~ 22 Lacs+

Jai Parkash Kaushik Rs 0 ~

Maman Chand Rs 6,32,498 ~ 6 Lacs+

Neel Kanwal Rs 0 ~

Pankaj Tayal Rs 0 ~

Paramjeet Singh

Pradeep Rs 0 ~

Puran Chand Rs 70,000 ~ 70 Thou+

Raj Kumar Rs 8,88,567 ~ 8 Lacs+

Rajender Singh Rs 2,20,000 ~ 2 Lacs+

Ram Pratap Sharma

Ramesh Verma Rs 3,50,000 ~ 3 Lacs+

Ramphal Rs 0 ~

Ranvir Singh Rs 93,30,241 ~ 93 Lacs+

Sanjay Kumar Rs 0 ~

Satpal

Smt. Nirmala Devi Saraf Rs 0 ~

Sunil Kumar Rs 20,000 ~ 20 Thou+

Sunil Kumar Sharma Rs 0 ~

Vedpal Rs 86,96,540 ~ 86 Lacs+

Vijay Kumar Sharma

Vinod Kumar Rs 0 ~

CANDIDATE LIST 2009

Ghanshyam Saraf Rs 48,89,100 ~ 48 Lacs+

Bhishamber Rs 52,000 ~ 52 Thou+

Bhupender Singh Rs 0 ~

Comrede Raj Kumar Rs 4,82,000 ~ 4 Lacs+

Daya Nand Rs 0 ~

DR. SHIV SHANKAR BHARDWAJ

Kusum Sharma Rs 6,30,712 ~ 6 Lacs+