Tag: Polls

Karnataka: PM Modi to address rally on April 30, ahead of polls

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Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a massive public rally on April 30 at Channapatna in Karnataka’s Ramnagar district ahead of the Assembly elections scheduled to be held in the southern state on May 10, a BJP leader said on Saturday.
A party leader said that the BJP is aiming at winning more seats in certain parts of the state where it does not enjoy a significant stronghold.
Former Karnataka chief minister and Janata Dal-Secular leader H.D. Kumaraswamy is contesting from the Channapatna constituency. The BJP has fielded former minister C.P. Yogeshwar from this seat. Political analysts believe the constituency would witness a direct contest between the JD-S and the BJP.

Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil Kumaraswamy is contesting from the neighbouring Ramnagar constituency. The region is considered as a bastion of the JD-S.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has planned a mega rally in Channapatna.
Preparations are currently underway at Shettihalli village.
According to sources, a huge stage and shelter is being erected to accommodate 2-3 lakh people. The BJP workers will be roped in from the neighbouring districts of Tumakuru, Mandya and Mysuru.
Yogeshwar on Saturday said there would be no road show this time in Channapatna. “The programme is scheduled to take place for about 2 hours. The party wants to win more seats in the old Mysuru region (south Karnataka),” he said.

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#Karnataka #Modi #address #rally #April #ahead #polls
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 22, 2023
Congress’ dilemma: Gehlot or Pilot for CM Candidate in upcoming polls?

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With the Assembly election later this year, Rajasthan faces a political crisis again. The party lost Punjab last year because of mishandling by the Gandhis by backing the wrong horse. Will the Congress leadership be able to save Rajasthan from going the Punjab way?
Congress and BJP have been alternating in Government, and now it is the turn of the BJP to win the elections in Rajasthan. Congress desperately needs to retain the big state in the Assembly polls.
In a catch-22 situation, Congress is still dithering whether to face the electorate with Ashok Gehlot as Chief Minister or the rebel Sachin Pilot instead.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former Deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot are at loggerheads again. The power tussle between the two started in 2018, first over party tickets and later over the chief minister’s position. Gehlot wants to keep his job, and Pilot wants to grab it immediately.
Pilot had rebelled twice in the meanwhile. In 2020, he led a revolt with the tacit support of the BJP with 20 of his legislators; the one-month-long political crisis ended after the Congress high command promised to look into the issues raised by Sachin Pilot.
The second time was in September 2022, when the Gehlot camp consisting of 90 MLAs, submitted their resignation letters to prevent Sachin Pilot from succeeding Gehlot. This was when Ashok was offered the party chief’s position. Gehlot wanted to be chief minister and rejected the party post.
Pilot thinks it is now or never as the time is running out. Though he is only 46, if Pilot misses the boat, his next shot would be in 2028. He is not in the mood to waste 5 years of political life.
Last week, Pilot announced a one-day dharna accusing the Gehlot Government of failing to act against the excise mafia, illegal mining, land encroachment, or the Lalit Modi affidavit case sat in dharna for a day. He complained Gehlot had been reluctant to act against the predecessor Vasundhara-led Government. Incidentally, Vasundhara Raje (BJP) quietly helped Gehlot win the confidence vote in 2020. Also, she is staking her claims to become chief minister again.

Sachin is young, charismatic, ambitious, articulate, and sophisticated. He is also close to Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi; However, he is a rebel, impatient, and ambitious. There are speculations BJP might offer him a ministerial berth. With few young leaders left, PIlot’s quitting could hurt Congress before the polls.
Ashok Gehlot is 71, asking the electorate for one last chance. If disturbed now, he will break the party.
The options before Congress are few. One is to counsel patience to Sachin. He has chosen corruption as an issue this time. When Rahul Gandhi is spearheading corruption, how could they blame Sachin? Moving Pilot to Delhi to give organizational responsibilities was one of the options, but Pilot would not be satisfied.
Alienating Gehlot also will have repercussions. One option is to convince the one-time magician Gehlot to step down. Gehlot had been the chief minister twice earlier and was an experienced leader from the OBC community. He has shown many times that he is a man in control. But, he is an aging leader, lacks charisma, and indulges in factionalism. He also faces anti-incumbency.
It will be an acid test for the six-month-old Congress Chief Mallikharjun Kharge busy amid Karnataka Assembly polls.
Last month, he was toying with making PIlot the state party chief, which would have soothed Sachin but upset Gehlot. Kharge may be waiting for the Karnataka elections to conclude. With pretty good chances of winning the state, he could deal with both leaders from a position of strength.
Ultimately, it depends on the party’s high command to find an acceptable formula for both. But this is easier said than done. Congress leadership has little time to dither.
The first and foremost is to quieten the warring camps. The Congress has roped veteran Kamal Nath to mediate between the two sides.
Secondly, the High command should act swiftly.
Keeping the crisis unaddressed will result in further chaos. It might also affect the party’s chances in Karnataka.
Thirdly, Kharge should ensure Rajasthan is not messed up as they did in Punjab by backing the wrong horse and losing the state.
Fourthly, there are few politically savvy peacemakers like Ahmed Patel. Also, Sonia Gandhi has taken a backseat.
Kamalnath has reportedly offered Pilot a ‘meaty’ role in the AICC secretariat, a member of the Congress Working Committee, and a vital role in the screening committee for the upcoming Rajasthan elections.
The High Command is not willing to disturb Gehlot. So, Congress must tread carefully, as any misstep would mean losing Rajasthan. It will need all the mediating skills to resolve the issue at a time when Congress needs to win and not lose.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 22, 2023
Karnataka polls: NCP fields nine candidates, including ex-BJP MLC

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New Delhi: The Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Friday said it has fielded nine candidates in the upcoming Karnataka assembly elections, where the BJP, Congress and the JD(S) are locked in a triangular contest.
The NCP has fielded Uttam Patil from Nippani assembly segment in Belgavi district, a region with dominant Marathi-speaking population, where it had actively participated in the agitation against the desecration of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
It has fielded Masoor Saheb Bilagi from Devar Hippargi, Zameer Ahmad Inamdar (Baswan Bagewadi), Kulappa Chavan (Nagthan), R Hari (Yelburga), R Shankar (Ranebennur), K Suguna (Hagaribommanahalli), SYM Masood Foujdar (Virajpet) and Rehana Bano (Narsimharaja).

Hari is the President of the NCP’s Karnataka unit and Shankar a BJP MLC who quit the party after being denied ticket to contest the May 10 elections.
Elected as the lone MLA of Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janatha Party (KPJP) from Ranebennur constituency in 2018, Shankar later joined the Congress.
However, he withdrew his support to Congress-JD(S) coalition government led by then Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, when a few MLAs from both parties resigned. He was then disqualified considering the fact that he was a Congress member. Shankar joined the BJP and was elected to the Legislative Council.
Shankar quit the BJP and as MLC after being denied the party ticket to contest the May 10 assembly elections.
NCP’s decision to field candidates in Karnataka is seen as an attempt to regain the national party status it had to forego due to its depleted political fortunes in states such as Goa, Meghalaya and Manipur.

The party’s entry into the electoral fray in Karnataka came at a time NCP supremo Sharad Pawar is leading efforts to forge opposition unity for the Lok Sabha elections next year.
The Congress is expecting a big victory in the Karnataka Assembly polls as it yearns for a reversal of its sliding electoral performance since the loss in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
The NCP also announced its list of star campaigners Sharad Pawar, Praful Patel, Supriya Sule, P P Mohammad Faizal, Fouzia Khan, Clyde Crasto, among others.
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#Karnataka #polls #NCP #fields #candidates #including #exBJP #MLC
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 21, 2023
Karnataka polls: 5,102 nominations filed by 3,632 candidates, scrutiny on Apr 21

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Bengaluru: Over 3,600 candidates have filed a total of 5,102 nominations for the May 10 Assembly polls in Karnataka till Thursday, the last day for filing of the papers, election officials said here.
The process of filing nominations papers began on April 13 with the election notification being issued.
Of the total nominations, 4,710 were filed by 3,327 male candidates and 391 nominations were by 304 female candidates. One nomination has been filed by an “other gender” candidate, the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka said in a Thursday night statement.

It said 707 nominations were filed by candidates who identified themselves with the BJP, 651 Congress, 455 JD(S) and the rest from other smaller parties and Independents.
According to the officials, one candidate may file up to four nominations.
On Thursday, the sixth and last day for filing of the papers, 1,934 nominations were filed by 1,691 candidates, including several prominent leaders.
In a surprise move just hours before the deadline for filing of nominations, Congress MP from Bangalore Rural D K Suresh entered the fray from the Kanakapura segment, from where his elder brother and state Congress chief D K Shivakumar is the party’s candidate.
According to several Congress functionaries, Suresh has filed his papers as a “backup plan” in the event of the nomination of Shivakumar getting rejected.

In Hassan, JD(S) candidate H P Swaroop filed his nomination with the backing of the entire family of former prime minister and JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda.
BJP candidate from Shivamogga Channabasappa, whose ticket was announced on Wednesday night by the party, filed his papers in the presence of senior leader and sitting MLA K S Eshwarappa, who has announced retirement from electoral politics.
Accompanied by Independent MP Sumalatha Ambareesh and minister C N Ashwath Narayan, BJP candidate from Mandya Ashok Jayaram filed his nomination papers.
According to reports, Congress working president Satish Jarkiholi filed his nomination from Yemakanmardi in Belagavi district. Minister Shashikala Jolle filed her papers from her traditional seat of Nippani in the district, accompanied by Union Minister Pralhad Joshi.
Among others who filed their nominations on Thursday were the BJP’s M P Renukacharya (Honnali), Katta Jagadish (Hebbal) and Ramachandra Gowda (Sidlaghatta), and the Congress’ Ramanatha Rai (Bantwal) and Yogesh HC (Shivamogga).
Scrutiny of nominations will take place on April 21, and the last day for the withdrawal of candidature is April 24.
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#Karnataka #polls #nominations #filed #candidates #scrutiny #Apr
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 21, 2023
Karnataka polls: Congress releases 6th and final list of candidates

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New Delhi: The Congress in the early hours of Thursday released its sixth and final list of five candidates for the impending Karnataka assembly elections.
In the final list, Mohammed Shalem was fielded from Raichur, BV Rajeev Gowda from Sidlaghatta, S Anand Kumar from C V Raman Nagar (SC), HP Sridhar Gowda from Arkalgud, and Inayath Ali from Mangalore City North.
The party had on Wednesday replaced Mohammed Yousuf Savanur as its candidate from the Shiggaon constituency in Karnataka, currently under Chief Minister Basavraj Bommai, and fielded Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan instead from there.

Bommai had defeated Congress candidates Sayed Azeempeer Khadri Shiggaon in the 2018 elections.
The party released its fifth list on Wednesday of three new candidates, fielding B C Muddugangadhar from the Mulbagal (SC) seat, D K Mohan from K R Pura, and A C Srinivasa from the Pulakeshinagar — SC seat.
With the sixth list, the Congress has announced 223 candidates, marking one seat in the 224-member assembly for Sarvodaya Karnataka Party, a regional outfit.
The last date for filing of nominations is April 20.
The assembly polls in the state held by BJP will take place on May 10 and the results will be announced on May 13.

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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 20, 2023
Karnataka polls: Jagadish Shettar, Sonia, Tharoor in Cong’s star campaigners’ list

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New Delhi: Former Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who joined the Congress this week after quitting the BJP, figures in the Congress’ list of star campaigners for the Karnataka Assembly polls that also includes party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor.
The Congress on Wednesday released a list of 40 leaders who would be the party’s star campaigners for the May 10 assembly elections.
Interestingly, Shettar, who crossed over to the Congress a couple of days ago and has been given the party ticket from the Hubli-Dharwad-Central Assembly segment that he currently represents, has been included in the list.

A staunch RSS man, Shettar was part of the Jan Sangh and BJP for several decades before severing his ties with the party upon his candidature being overlooked for the May 10 election and joined Congress on Monday.
The Congress’ list of star campaigners has many stalwarts from Karnataka such as former chief minister Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar, Jairam Ramesh, M Veerappa Moily, M B Patil, G Parameshwara, K H Muniyappa and BK Hariprasad.
Others include Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, his Chhattisgarh counterpart Bhupesh Baghel, Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhwinder Singh Sukku, AICC in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Surjewala, senior party leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, K C Venugopal, P Chidambaram, Prithviraj Chavan and Ashok Chavan.
Sachin Pilot, who was on the list of star campaigners for the 2018 Karnataka polls, does not figure on the list this time.
Ramalinga Reddy, Satish Jarkiholi, D K Suresh, G C Chandrashekhar, Syed Naseer Hussain, Zameer Ahmed Khan, H M Revanna, Umashree, Revanth Reddy, Ramesh Chennithala, Srinivas B V, Raj Babbar, Mohammed Azharuddin, Divya Spandana, Imran Pratapgarhi, Kanhaiya Kumar, Rupa Shashidhar and Sadhukokila are also on the list.

The assembly polls will be held on May 10 and the results will be announced on May 13. The Congress is seeking to oust the BJP from power in the southern state.
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#Karnataka #polls #Jagadish #Shettar #Sonia #Tharoor #Congs #star #campaigners #list
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 19, 2023
Karnataka polls: Siddaramaiah files nomination from Varuna

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Mysuru: Senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday filed nomination from Varuna constituency in this district, for the May 10 Karnataka Assembly polls.
The Leader of Opposition in the Assembly was accompanied by former Minister H C Mahadevappa and Congress leaders.
Siddaramaiah’s son Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah is the sitting Congress MLA from Varuna.

The 75-year-old, eight time MLA, had earlier won twice from Varuna, and went on to become the Leader of Opposition after winning from here in 2008, and then became Chief Minister after 2013 Assembly polls.
The Congress legislature party leader offered prayers to his family deity Siddarameshwara at the temple in his native village of Siddaramanahundi, and also visited Sri Rama temple there, and held a massive roadshow before filing the nomination.
He also visited the famous Chamundeshwari temple, on Chamundi hills in Mysuru, and addressed a public meeting ahead of filing papers.
The ruling BJP has fielded Minister V Somanna from Varuna to take on Siddaramaiah.
By filing nomination in Varuna, Siddaramaiah has returned to his home constituency after contesting from neighbouring Chamundeshwari, and Badami in Bagalkote district, in 2018 polls. He had faced a defeat in Chamundeshwari, but had won in Badami.

A Chief Ministerial aspirant in the event of Congress coming to power, he has already declared that this will be his last election.
Filing of nominations for the election ends on April 20. Voting will take place on May 10 and the counting of votes will be on May 13.
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#Karnataka #polls #Siddaramaiah #files #nomination #Varuna
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 19, 2023
Karnataka polls: PM Modi, Yogi in BJP list of 40-star campaigners

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Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President J P Nadda, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and a strong team of Union Ministers figure in the list of the party’s 40 star campaigners for Karnataka Assembly elections next month.
The Union ministers include Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharaman, Smriti Irani, Dharmendra Pradhan, Mansukh Mandaviya and Pralhad Joshi, according to the list released by the party.
In addition to Adityanath, Madhya Pradesh and Assam Chief Ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Himanta Biswa Sarma, respectively, and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadvavis have been included.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Karnataka BJP strongman B S Yediyurappa, former Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, some Karnataka ministers and state party leaders also figure in the list.
The ruling BJP in Karnataka is pulling out all the stops to retain the state where it is pitted against opposition Congress and the JD(S) in the May 10 elections. Results will be declared on May 13.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 19, 2023
Karnataka polls: Mangaluru SDPI candidate faces sedition, under NIA watch

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Bengaluru: The candidate of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) for Mangaluru constituency, Riyaz Farangipet who has submitted nomination to contest from the Ullal constituency in Mangaluru, faces alleged sedition charges and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is closely watching his movements.
The SDPI has fielded a formidable candidate in the form of Riyaz, to wrestle the Mangaluru constituency from Congress, U.T. Khader, former minister and senior Congress leader. The constituency is considered as the bastion of Congress so far.
Riyaz, the national secretary of SDPI, was accused of hatching a conspiracy to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Phulwari Sharif Aarea of Bihar on July 12, 2022. The investigations allegedly revealed Riyaz’s links with accused persons. The NIA had filed an FIR against him. He is alleged to have taken part in the meetings with accused persons in planning.

In 2022, NIA had lodged an FIR against him on charges of sedition. The case is being investigated under IPC Sections 120, 120 (B), 121, 121 (A), 1s3(A), 1s3(B) read with 34.
Apart from this, there are many cases lodged against him in Belthangady, Mangaluru South, Konaje, Mangaluru North, East police stations in Dakshina Kannada district. He is facing charges of creating enmity between groups, obstructing the duty of policemen.
Riyaz Farangipet had taken out a massive rally to file nomination for the Mangaluru constituency on Monday. Sources said that the SDPI had aggressively campaigned against Congress candidate Khader, in the wake of hijab controversy and boycott call on Muslim traders.
Khader had won from this constituency three times since 2008 by defeating BJP candidates. In 2018 Khader defeated Santhosh Kumar Rai Boliyaru from BJP by more than 19,000 votes. BJP had won this constituency constantly for three times between 1994 to 2004.
Khader, known as a progressive leader, is facing stiff competition from the SDPI this time in the Muslim dominated constituency. It was the only constituency to be won by the Congress in the 2018 elections. All seats of the district were won by BJP.

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#Karnataka #polls #Mangaluru #SDPI #candidate #faces #sedition #NIA #watch
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 18, 2023
Karnataka polls: Family members of leaders in BJP’s 3rd list, resentment still brews

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Bengaluru: The BJP on Monday released a third list of candidates for the May 10 Karnataka Assembly polls, accommodating the family members of three senior leaders amid the resentment and rebellion in the state unit.
However, senior leader S.A. Ramdas, miffed with the denial of ticket from Krishnaraja constituency in Mysuru city, stated that he will announce his decision on future course of action on Tuesday.
The BJP has announced candidates for 10 constituencies, thus finalising 222 candidates of the total 224. The party is yet to announce candidates for Shivamogga constituency represented by former minister K.S. Eshwarappa and Manvi constituency.

The party has announced state General Secretary Mahesh Tenginakayi as its candidate for Hubballi-Dharwad Central constituency represented by former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who had joined the Congress after being denied a ticket by the BJP.
The party has allotted ticket to senior leader Karadi Sanganna’s daughter-in-law Manjula Amaresh for Koppal constituency, former minister Arvind Limbavali’s wife Manjula Arvind Limbavali from Mahadevapura reserve constituency in Bengaluru, and Katta Jagadish, son of senior leader Katta Subramanya Naidu, from Hebbal constituency in Bengaluru.
The party has chosen Srivatsa, its Mysuru district President from Krishnaraja constituency in Mysuru instead of senior leader Ramdas, who did hectic lobbying and is now irate.
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#Karnataka #polls #Family #members #leaders #BJPs #3rd #list #resentment #brews

( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 18, 2023