Election news live: Prime Minister and senior BJP leader Narendra Modi delivers a video message for the people of Karnataka ahead of the Karnataka Assembly elections, on Tuesday (PTI)Karnataka Elections 2023 News highlights: The Congress on Tuesday petitioned the Election Commission seeking immediate action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his appeals to Karnataka voters “in violation” of the model code, and said it was “a litmus test” for the poll body’s capacity and willingness to enforce laws, reported news agency PTI.
Meanwhile the Election Commission of India (ECI) Tuesday warned two Bengaluru restaurants after they announced plans to offer free breakfast and food to voters. Tushar Giri Nath, the chief commissioner of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), who is also the ex-officio electoral officer for Bengaluru city, said in a statement: “It is a violation of the model code of conduct to distribute food and drinks at a discounted price or for free. The restaurant owner will be held responsible and legal action will be initiated.”
Ahead of the Karnataka polls due tomorrow, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged the people to ‘cast their votes as responsible citizens.’ “Karnataka is full of potential to lead this vision of a developed India. We have to make sure that India is included in the top 3 economies of the world. It is possible only when the economy of Karnataka boosts upward,” he said. “The dream of every Kannadiga is my own dream. Your resolution is my resolution. We want Karnataka to be number one in investment, industries, education and employment. For making Karnataka number one, I request you all to cast your vote as responsible citizens,” PM Modi said.
In light of the upcoming Karnataka state assembly elections, the Bengaluru police on Tuesday made changes to its order that had previously banned the sale of liquor in the city from May 8 to May 10. The new order restricts the sale of liquor in restaurants but allows the sale of food.
Bengaluru police commissioner Prathap Reddy issued the modified order on Tuesday. Earlier on May 2, the city police issued an order banning the sale of liquor through various outlets, including liquor shops, wine shops, bars, hotels, taverns, or any other public or private place. The sale of liquor is also prohibited on May 13 during the counting of votes. Read what the modified order says
The Congress on Tuesday petitioned the Election Commission seeking immediate action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his appeals to Karnataka voters "in violation" of the model code, and said it was "a litmus test" for the poll body's capacity and willingness to enforce laws.
In a lengthy complaint to the chief election commissioner, Congress general secretary in charge of Karnataka Randeep Surjewala asked the commission whether it will remain a "mute and helpless spectator" or fulfil its constitutional duty and act against the prime minster. (PTI)
On the eve of polling in Karnataka, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Tuesday appealed to voters, especially first-timers, to come out in large numbers to exercise their franchise.
Karnataka has more than 5.3 crore electors, including 11.71 lakh first-time voters, spread across 224 constituencies.
He urged the young and urban voters to take inspiration from elderly voters like 103-year-old Mahadeva Mahalinga Mali and participate actively in the "festival of democracy, defeating the prevalent trend of urban apathy in the state". (PTI)
With the weather office predicting rainfall in the coming days, voters in Bengaluru are planning to exercise their franchise early on Wednesday morning when Karnataka goes to the polls, even as Cyclone Mocha is expected to intensify in the Bay of Bengal.
The weather is expected to be mostly cloudy in Bengaluru on the polling day. Meanwhile polling officials in Bengaluru are gearing up with umbrellas and covers for the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). Know more here
Distributing freebies during elections is not new to Karnataka. But this time, Election Commission officials have seen a rise in articles such as pressure cookers, mixers, sarees, ornaments and much more – all with an eye to woo the woman voter.
The latest electoral rolls data revealed that women voters outnumber men in 112 Assembly constituencies in Karnataka.
The overall gender ratio of electors stands at 989 women voters per 1,000 men voters, and women are likely to play a big role in the election on Wednesday. Know more here
Congress leader M B Patil put out a tweet on social media, ahead of the Karnataka election tomorrow, saying that BJP candidate from Babaleshwar was traveling in a vehicle with no number plate.
With all eyes on the high-stakes Karnataka Assembly polls, the Urdu dailies have gone all out to ensure its saturation coverage, tracking the star campaigners and their fireworks, reporting the sights and sounds of their trails, and capturing the colours and moods of the fray. With the incumbent BJP and the main challenger Congress locked in a bitter fight to the finish, some of the dailies believe that its outcome may mark the beginning of a change in the country’s unipolar politics, even as they lament the cynical bids to turn this election into a divisive, polarising affair too.
In the spotlight in the Urdu Press over the week was also the Maharashtra stalwart Sharad Pawar whose resignation play stunned everyone, friends and foes alike, with its denouement restoring order, at least for now, in his scheme of things. Read here
The BJP government in Goa has declared May 10 as a paid holiday, which will also cover private establishments and industrial workers, in view of voting for the Assembly polls scheduled in neighbouring Karnataka. However, the Pramod Sawant government's decision has not gone down well with Opposition parties and industry bodies.
The state government has defended the decision, with state industries minister Mauvin Godinho on Tuesday saying the Karnataka government had also given paid holiday last year when Assembly elections were held in Goa. (PTI)
Citing violation of Model Code of Conduct, the Bengaluru district election officer has warned hotel owners of legal action if they provide free or discounted food, drinks and meals to those who show their inked finger. This order comes after some hotels displayed boards offering free or discounted food to voters who vote on May 10.
A day ahead of voting in Karnataka Assembly polls, the Congress on Tuesday claimed that it drove a positive and development-centric campaign with a vision for the Kannadigas while the BJP's aim was to "distract, divide and deceive" the people.
The high-decibel campaign for polls to the 224-member Karnataka Assembly ended on Monday. The state is witnessing a triangular contest between the ruling BJP, the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) which is headed by former prime minister H D Deve Gowda.
The results will be declared on May 13. (PTI)
On the eve of elections in Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged people to support BJP in making Karnataka the number one state, saying its “double engine sarkar” and “decisive focussed and futuristic approach” could contribute to the state’s growth and economy.
In a video message released on Tuesday morning, the Prime Minister said: “The dream of every Kannadiga is my own dream… Your resolution is my resolution.”
With voting set to take place on May 10, campaigning in Karnataka ended on Monday evening. The BJP is in a fierce electoral battle with the Congress to retain power in the state where Janata Dal (Secular) is also in the fray, making it a triangular contest in several constituencies, especially in Mysuru and coastal areas of the state.
A day before the Karnataka Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday said that his experience campaigning in the state for the past few days has “strengthened the resolve to make Karnataka Number 1 across all sectors”.
In an open letter on Twitter, PM Modi wrote: “The affection I have received in Karnataka over the last few days has been unparalleled. It has strengthened the resolve to make Karnataka Number 1 across all sectors!”
He also said that accelerating Karnataka’s economic growth is vital to propelling India into one of the top three economies of the world. (Read More)
The Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday said seizures of cash, liquor, drugs and freebies meant for distribution in Karnataka had increased by 4.5 times compared to that during the 2018 Assembly polls. It said seizures worth Rs 375 crore have been recorded so far, as opposed to Rs 83.93 crore in 2018. (Read More)
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge made an emotional appeal, citing his age and an alleged threat to him by a BJP candidate, while the BJP’s retired hurt veteran B S Yediyurappa insisted the party would win a clear majority, as campaigning wrapped up for the bitterly contested Karnataka Assembly elections on Monday.
With stakes high and the contest close, words were exchanged, and both sides filed several complaints with the Election Commission during the course of the campaign.
Sensing victory after a long time in a major state – and the only one held by the BJP in the South – the Congress mounted an aggressive campaign, banking on its substantial organisational presence in the state, strong leaders such as Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar, and the appeal of the Gandhis. Apart from Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who spent extended time in Karnataka, even Sonia Gandhi pitched in, making a rare address at a rally. (Read More)
Just a few days before the high-stakes Karnataka Assembly polls, Bengaluru witnessed high-voltage campaigning by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
PM Modi undertook massive roadshows in the state capital on Saturday and Sunday, covering a distance of altogether over 30 km, which drew huge crowds.
Rahul campaigned in the city on Sunday and Monday in a seemingly freewheeling manner as he interacted with various groups of gig workers, students and women passengers. He took a pillion ride with a delivery agent and boarded a Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) bus to interact with passengers. (Read More)
“IF SOMEONE is trying to take advantage of the controversies over the Congress manifesto (promising a ban on the Bajrang Dal) and The Kerala Story, it is BJP leaders in Kodagu,” Hemanth says, addressing fellow fruit-sellers in this town in Kodagu (Coorg) district of Karnataka. However, he adds, “It may not help the party much.”
Bordering Kerala, the Kodagu district has two Assembly seats, Vijrapet and Madikeri, considered a stronghold of the BJP due to the influence of the communal politics of the nearby coastal region. However, while this time too, religious issues caught on in the last leg of campaigning – apart from cultural ones playing on Kodava pride — uppermost in people’s minds are the 2018 floods, leading to massive landslides, and the loss of livelihoods due to the Covid lockdowns. (Read More)
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday expressed confidence that the Congress will win the Karnataka assembly elections with a thumping majority.
Karnataka goes to polls on Wednesday and the results will be declared on May 13.
Speaking to reporters in Udaipur, Gehlot said, "It seems that the elections will be won with a huge majority." He also asserted that in Rajasthan the Congress government will return to power after the polls.
“When sentiments arise in the public, no one can stop (us) from forming government...whether it is Amit Shah or Narendra Modi, no matter who comes,” he said. (PTI)
The Supreme Court in regards to the 'political statements on Karnataka Muslim quota' today said that some sanctity needs to be maintained when there is a court order.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing on a plea challenging the Karnataka Government's decision to scrap 4 per cent OBC reservation for Muslims for July after assurance given by the state government not to implement the decision till next date of hearing.
A bench headed by justices KM Joseph and also comprising Justice BV Nagarathna adjourned the hearing for July 25.
Karnataka government assured again no admissions or appointments will be taken place on the basis of the government order scrapping 4 per cent OBC reservation for Muslims till the next date of hearing. (ANI)
? The voting will take place on May 10 from 7 am to 6 pm.
? A total of 5,31,33,054 electors are eligible to cast their votes in 58,545 polling stations across the state, where 2,615 candidates are in the fray.
? Among the electors, 2,67,28,053 are male, 2,64,00,074 female and 4,927 "others", while among the candidates 2,430 are male, 184 female and one from third gender.
? As many as 11,71,558 are young voters, while 5,71,281 are persons with disabilities (PWDs) and 12,15,920 are aged above 80.
? A total of 75,603 Ballot Units (BU), 70,300 Control Units (CU) and 76,202 voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) are slated to be used during voting.
? According to poll officials, elaborate security arrangements have been made across the state for the smooth conduct of elections and forces have been deployed from neighbouring states.
? 'Critical Polling Stations' are covered by one or more of the measures like Micro Observers, Webcasting and CCTVs to keep a watch on the polling process as force multipliers. (PTI)
After a high voltage campaign, it is now time for the mega battle of ballots in Karnataka, with the state all set to elect its representatives to the 224-member Legislative Assembly on Wednesday.
With the stakes being high in this election, the major political parties in contention - the BJP, Congress and JD(S) - and their candidates have made a strong pitch seeking to boost their prospects at the hustings.
The voting will take place from 7 am to 6 pm. (PTI)
The issue of urban development carries a strange duality about its relevance in politics. On one hand, almost all election campaign material and promises of a developed country feature tall buildings, quality public spaces, and clean, lively streets indicating the indispensable role and the political nature of a prosperous urban imagination. On the other hand, in elections, citizens rarely hold governments accountable for issues of urban infrastructure. Rarely do people vote on issues such as water logging, rising rents, or lack of good streets. Most Indian cities, for example, get flooded every year, but that has rarely contributed towards anti-incumbency. Ironically, the politicians who pose against the backdrop of a developed skyline do not lose sleep over the fact that their constituency was flooded in the last monsoon.
In this context, the upcoming Karnataka elections are very relevant. The state’s capital, Bengaluru, is the basket case of disastrous urban planning and the consequent insufficient infrastructure, environmental damage, and unaffordable real estate. (Read More)
The Election Commission on Monday wrote to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge asking him to “clarify and take rectification measures” regarding former party president Sonia Gandhi’s remark about the “sovereignty” of Karnataka.
Earlier in the day, a delegation of BJP leaders had complained to the EC that Gandhi’s comment that if the Congress wins the Karnataka election, it would not allow the sovereignty of the state to be threatened was amounted to a call for secession. The Congress Twitter handle had tweeted a clip of the speech on May 6. (Read More)
Campaigning for the May 10 Karnataka Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleged on Sunday (May 7) that the “royal family” of the Congress was “openly advocating” Karnataka’s secession from the Indian Union.
On Monday, the BJP moved the Election Commission of India (ECI) against Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, asking for an FIR and “exemplary punitive action” against her. The BJP also demanded that the ECI derecognise the Congress.
What did the Prime Minister say?
Addressing an election rally in Nanjangud in Mysuru district, the Prime Minister said, “The Congress Shahi Parivar came to Karnataka yesterday (May 6) and said they want to protect the sovereignty of Karnataka… Do you know what this means? … When a country becomes free, it is called a sovereign country. What the Congress is saying is that it considers Karnataka separate from India…” (Read More)
Anticipating an extra rush in Karnataka on May 10, the day of polling, three trains have been cleared for plying by the South Western Railways (SWR).
The three trains are Bengaluru (SMVB) to BeLagavi via Hubballi, Bengaluru (SMVB) to Bidar via Kalaburgi, and Bengaluru (Yeshwantpur) to Murudeshwar.
In addition to this, coaches have been added to five other trains as well to deal with the extra rush.
"Two coaches have been added in 12079/80 (Bengaluru-Hubballi Janashatabdi Exp), and one each in 17307/ 17308 (Bagalkot-Mysuru, Basava Exp), 16593/94 (Bengaluru-Nanded via Raichuru, Yadgir), 17309/ 10 (Yashwantpur- Hubballi - Vasco), 16595/96 (Bengaluru- Karwar)," the SWR stated in a release. (PTI)
The Election Commission on Monday wrote to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge asking for a clarification of Sonia Gandhi’s “sovereignty” of Karnataka remark. The commission has also sent a notice to Karnataka BJP President Nalin Kumar Kateel, over advertisements making unsubstantiated claims against Congress.
Amid a controversy over Sonia Gandhi's Karnataka "sovereignty" remark, the Congress on Monday dubbed the BJP's charge "fakery and falsehood" and accused the ruling party of denigrating the state's "swabhimaan".
On the last day of campaign for the May 10 assembly elections in Karnataka, Congress general secretary in-charge of the state Randeep Surjewala said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should speak out on corruption charges against his party's government and added excuses cannot be the refuge of BJP in this election.
"The desperation of Prime Minister Modi and the BJP is glaring as they seek to clutch at straws for want of a narrative in Karnataka. We reject the fakery and falsehood being perpetuated by PM as he refuses to answer a single question on why BJP is denigrating the 'swabhimaan' of Karnataka," the Congress leader said when asked about the BJP's charge on "sovereignty" remark. (PTI)
The Congress on Monday petitioned the Election Commission, requesting it to direct police authorities to register a case against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that he made a false statement that "Congress is trying to disintegrate Karnataka from Bharat".
The party accused him of making "false, baseless, frivolous" allegations only to solicit votes for his the BJP during his public meeting at Nanjangud in Mysuru district on Sunday.
The petition, signed by KPCC spokesperson A N Nataraj Gowda and the party's Legal Cell Secretary Sanjay Yadav among others, said that Modi's alleged statement is "absolutely perverse and without an iota of responsibility". They also said it was prejudicial to national integration and maintenance of harmony.
In a blistering attack on the Congress for former party chief Sonia Gandhi's "Karnataka's sovereignty" remarks, Modi during his last campaign rally ahead of the May 10 Assembly polls, accused the party of openly advocating for "separating" Karnataka from India. (PTI)
As many as 1.56 lakh police personnel will be deployed across Karnataka for the Assembly polls on Wednesday (May 10), said Director General of Police (DGP) Praveen Sood Monday.
In a statement, Sood said 304 deputy superintendents of police (DySP), 991 inspectors, 2,601 sub-inspectors, 5,803 assistant sub-inspectors, 46,421 head constables/police constables, and 8,500 homes guards and police personnel from neighbouring states would be mobilised. In addition, 650 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and state armed police would be deployed. (Read More)
Enforcement teams made seizures totalling over Rs 375 crore in poll-bound Karnataka since the model code of conduct came into force on March 29, the Election Commission said on Monday.
The total seizures (Rs 375.6 crore) include cash (Rs 147 crore), liquor (Rs 84 crore), gold and silver (Rs 97 crore), freebies (Rs 24 crore) and drugs/narcotics (Rs 24 crore), the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka, said.
As many as 2,896 FIRs have been booked with regard to the seizures.
The seizures before the announcement of the May 10 Assembly polls totalled about Rs 58 crore. (PTI)
Former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Monday expressed confidence that Bharatiya Janata Party will win 135 seats in Karnataka polls and termed Congress as "a drowning ship".
Addressing a press conference on the last day of the campaign in Karnataka, the senior BJP leader said a "double-engine government" is essential for the development of the southern state.
"Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah did roadshows and rallies. I am confident that we (BJP) will win 135 seats in the Karnataka Assembly election. Congress is a drowning ship, its leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra won only 2-3 seats in Uttar Pradesh even after campaigning for 4-5 months," Yediyurappa said. Yediyurappa said Congress leaders cannot match the stature of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is working restlessly for the country's development. (ANI)
THE BJP has filed a complaint against Sonia Gandhi over a speech she made at a rally in Hubballi on May 8.
It was a rare address at an election meeting by the former Congress president, who now largely takes a backseat in party operations.
At the rally, which was also attended by Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, this is what Sonia Gandhi said in her speech.. Click here to read more
Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Monday commented on the upcoming Karnataka polls as she urged the people to vote for stability and development, not for BJP.
THE BJP Monday approached the Election Commission against Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, urging it to file an FIR and initiate “exemplary punitive action” against her, over her alleged remarks supporting “sovereignty of Karnataka”.
The complaint was based on a tweet by the Congress, where it said that at her speech in Hubballi on May 6, Sonia had said that “the Congress will not allow anyone to pose a threat to Karnataka’s reputation, sovereignty and integrity”. (Read More)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday slammed Congress over its promise to restore quota for Muslims in Karnataka and talking of an increase in quota to six per cent and said that the party should make it clear if it will slash the benefits of SCs, STs, Lingayats or Vokkaligas.
In an exclusive interview with news agency ANI, Shah said Siddaramaiah should clarify that if Congress increases the reservation for Muslims from 4 per cent to 6 per cent, then whose reservation it will cut down.
"Reservation within reservation done with a lot of thought...Before the end of campaigning for Karnataka elections, Siddaramaiah must clarify that if Congress increases the reservation for Muslims from 4 per cent to 6 per cent, whose reservation would they decrease - OBCs, or SCs or STs or Lingayats, or Vokkaligas?" Shah asked. (ANI)
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who is in Bengaluru as part of the Karnataka Assembly elections campaigns, on Monday said that the grand old party would be elected to power as the people of the state want an "end to corruption".
"We are very confident and hopeful. I am not a predictor of numbers; I can only see the response that we have gotten from the public. The people of Karnataka want an end to corruption," Priyanka said while talking to the media after her mega roadshow in the city.
She also held a roadshow in Bengaluru's Vijayanagar on the last day of campaigning for the Karnataka Assembly elections which are scheduled to be held on May 10. (ANI)
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge Monday took a swipe at the ‘double engine’ government remarks made by BJP leaders, saying that while one engine had stopped working another would do so in 2024.
He was speaking at a rally held in Kalaburagi on the last day of campaigning for Karnataka polls scheduled May 10. “Nothing good was done in Karnataka under the BJP… One engine of the double-engine government is not working in Karnataka. In 2024, another engine will also stop working,” he said. (Read More)
Pointing out that because of the blessings of the people of Kalaburagi he was in Parliament and had been in the Assembly, and worked in various capacities including Leader of Opposition, Kharge said though he lost the Lok Sabha polls, Sonia Gandhi had made him a Rajya Sabha member and then Leader of Opposition, and above all he has been made the AICC president. "It is a matter of pride of Gulbarga (Kalaburagi), not mine," he said.
"But Gulbarga (Kalaburagi) has got the post of Congress national president and saving it is in your hand, bringing respect to it is in your hands. Or else others will say Gulbarga (Kalaburagi) was made president but people there didn't even choose an MLA," he said.
"You should make sure Congress wins all 13 seats. Then I will get respect and also to those who made me president, and also to you, as I'm no one without you." In 52 years, he had brought no bad name to his people, he said.
"I want to tell Modi now that I'm the 'bhoomi putra' of Karnataka and Gulbarga (Kalaburagi). The right you have in Gujarat, I have here and I should get it. You have done nothing for my place, but I'm asking after working for my region. What have you done to seek votes here?" he asked. (PTI)
Making an emotional appeal to voters in his home turf on the last day of campaigning, Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday said he was 81 years old and if someone wanted to finish him off, they could, but he would until his last breath continue to fight for the poor and try to protect their interests.
"It seems that it might have come into the minds of BJP leaders to finish me off. If not, who will have the courage to say that he wants to finish off Kharge and family? If he has to say it, some BJP leader should be behind him, or else it will not," Kharge said.
Addressing a public meeting in Kalaburagi, he said, no one could finish him off easily. "I have Babasaheb's Constitution to protect me, the people of Kalaburagi and Karnataka are behind me. Now after becoming AICC president, the people of the country are behind me. You may finish me and my family... If I go, someone else may emerge," he said. (PTI)
Rahul Gandhi visited a Cafe Coffee Day on Cunningham Road on Monday. As he exited, he met and spoke to a bunch of college-going and working women at the BMTC bus stop,
He then got onto a BMTC bus with the women and spoke to them about Congress’ guarantee of free bus travel to all women in BMTC and KSRTC buses. He also spoke to them about the Gruhalakshmi (?2000 to women head of household) guarantee. The women told him about issues of transportation, and also price rise affecting their budgets.
The Congress has put out a two-part video of its leading chief ministership aspirants -- Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar -- engaged in a candid conversation about the polls and disgruntlement in the BJP, in a show of camaraderie and bonhomie ahead of the May 10 Karnataka polls.
A video released Monday, the second in two days, shows the two leaders presenting a united front in the polls and exchanging notes on the Congress campaign.
Significantly, media reports in the run up to the elections had claimed that the two leaders had been engaged in one-upmanship for the post of chief minister in case the Congress wins but the two have denied such claims and asserted that they are fighting the polls unitedly and would abide by the party decision on the chief ministership. (PTI)
On why Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not spell out any achievements of the state government in any of his speeches, the state BJP strongman said the Centre released maximum grants to Karnataka and it's the reason for Karnataka's development.
"There was no need for him to repeat (mentioning) those works. The Prime Minister knows how Karnataka is treading on the development path," he added. (PTI)
BJP stalwart B S Yediyurappa on Monday predicted that his party would return to power in Karnataka with 130 to 135 seats and Congress leader Siddaramaiah will lose the election from Varuna constituency.
He also said V Somanna, the BJP candidate in Varuna Assembly segment had worked day and night in the constituency and would emerge victorious. "(V) Somanna (Minister and BJP candidate) will win the election in Varuna constituency. That's also I wanted to convey to you because I had been there one or two days. Somanna has worked day and night and (former Chief Minister) Siddaramaiah is going to lose miserably in this election," he told reporters here.
"I am telling you today that we are going to get a minimum of 130 to 135 seats. After the elections we are going to meet again. Whatever I said previously also had come true. Even now I am telling you that we are going to cross 130 to 135 seats and we are going to form the government," the four-time Chief Minister said. (PTI)
Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Monday alleged that Congress parliamentary party chief Sonia Gandhi's reference to "Karnataka's sovereignty" has revealed the party's "deep conspiracy to disintegrate India".
Thakur's strong reaction came after the official Twitter handle of the Congress posted,"CPP Chairperson Smt Sonia Gandhi ji sends a strong message to 6.5 crore Kannadigas: The Congress will not allow anyone to pose a threat to Karnataka's reputation, sovereignty or integrity." "By referring to 'Karnataka's sovereignty', Sonia Gandhi Ji, you have revealed the Congress' deep conspiracy to disintegrate India," Thakur said on Twitter.
He said people have not forgotten how the Congress government, going against public sentiment, mischievously introduced a separate flag for Karnataka to mock the BJP's allegiance to the 'One Nation, One Flag'. "Neither Sonia Gandhi Ji nor her party ever accepted India as a nation. Kannadigas will foil the Congress's game plan," Thakur claimed. (PTI)
BJP will win 130 to 135 seats in K'taka and form the govt claimed State BJP strongman and former CM B S Yediyurappa on Monday. "Congress leader Siddaramaiah is going to lose the election in Varuna miserably," he added.
An activist of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) was arrested by police for assaulting a Congress worker during a scuffle here between party workers on Sunday night.
Police sources said the scuffle between the workers of the two parties began when a campaign vehicle of the Congress came in the way of an SDPI vehicle rally at Natekal in Konaje police station limits.
As the bike and rickshaw rally organised by SDPI workers caused traffic obstruction on the road, the driver of the Congress campaign vehicle honked horn and played a campaign song.
The enraged SDPI workers then assaulted the driver of the vehicle. Naufal, who was injured in the scuffle, was hospitalised. Police later arrested an SDPI worker who was part of the group that assaulted Naufal.
Sources said the security at the venue of the SDPI meeting at Deralakatee was tightened following the incident.
Congress leader and former minister U T Khader is facing Sathish Kumpala of BJP in the Mangaluru Assembly segment where Riyaz Farangipete is the SDPI candidate. (PTI)
Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Monday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his 'shahi parivar' dig at the Congress and cited the example of former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, asserting that the nation saw them 'bleed' for India.
In a tweet, Sibal said, 'PM said: Congress Shahi Parivar wants Karnataka to 'secede' from India. But Modiji: The nation saw them 'bleed' for India – Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi.' 'Is the NCERT going to efface those facts from textbooks?' he said.
Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi were both assassinated in 1984 and 1991 respectively.
Addressing a public meeting in Karnataka's Nanjangud on Sunday, Modi said that in this Karnataka election, Congress' 'shahi parivar' (royal family) has gone a step ahead by 'breaking all the limits and crushing the feelings of the country'.
'Not only Karnataka, I want to tell this to the entire country with a lot of pain that in this election Congress' royal family yesterday came to Karnataka and said they want to protect the sovereignty of Karnataka,' the prime minister said.
'Karnataka's sovereignty, you know what is the meaning of it? They have sat in Parliament for so many years, they have taken oath on India's Constitution, and they say this. When a country becomes independent, only then that country is called a sovereign nation. The meaning of what Congress is saying is that the Congress believes that Karnataka is separate from India,' Modi had said. (PTI)
No party or candidate shall publish any advertisement in the print media on poll day and one day prior without clearance from the media certification and monitoring committee, the Election Commission said on Sunday in an advisory ahead of the May 10 voting in Karnataka.
Campaign for the Karnataka assembly elections set to end on Monday.
In the advisory to political parties, the poll authority also emphasised on "clean and serious" campaign as electioneering reached feverish pitch for the polls.
In a separate letter to editors, the Election Commission (EC) made it clear to them that the Press Council of India's norms for journalistic conduct hold them responsible for all matters, including advertisements, published in their newspapers.
"If responsibility is disclaimed, this shall be explicitly stated beforehand," the Commission said in a letter to editors of newspapers in Karnataka.
The advisory to political parties stated that advertisements during the silence period -- on the election day and one day prior to the poll day -- will have to be pre-certified by the media certification and monitoring committee (MCMC). (PTI)