New Delhi: The stage is set for an electoral face-off between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress in Karnataka after the Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday announced that assembly elections will take place on 12 May.
Karnataka election results will be declared on 15 May.
“The number of electors in the final roll it is 4.96 crores...elector population ratio in Karnataka is 72 which is very close to whatever is the ratio of the population above 18 years to rest of the population and even gender ratio is very close,” chief election commissioner (CEC) O.P. Rawat told reporters, adding that the model code of conduct comes into effect immediately.
The EC announcement was marred by a leak after Amit Malviya, national in-charge of information and technology with the BJP, tweeted, and then deleted, the poll dates before the official announcement, leading to a war of words between the two parties.
Rawat said the EC will investigate the matter and take “strict action”.
Later in the day, BJP leaders met EC officials. In a letter to the EC, Malviya clarified that his source of information was news reports and added that “a similar tweet by the social media in-charge of Congress in Karnataka” was also put out. In response to the Congress leader’s tweet, party spokesperson R.P.N. Singh said that a local channel had put out the poll schedule and so the information was put out.
“Definitely, it will be investigated. When the investigation delivers certain facts...whatever action legally and administratively befitting to the occasion will be taken, please be assured,” Rawat told reporters.
Later in the day, the EC set up a committee of senior officials to probe the leakage of the election schedule and “suggest steps needed to prevent any such eventuality in future”. It will submit its report in a week’s time, the EC said.
The Karnataka election is being keenly watched because it is the largest state under Congress rule, while the BJP is trying to regain its political influence in the state after losing power in 2013. Karnataka is the only southern state where the BJP plays a decisive role.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 17 out of 28 seats in Karnataka and the party hopes to continue the momentum. Interestingly, of the 129 Lok Sabha seats in the south of India, the BJP won 21 and the Congress 19 in the 2014 general elections.
Apart from Karnataka, the Congress and BJP will also clash in assembly polls due this year in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
In a key announcement, Rawat also said that the model code of conduct would not affect the setting up of the Cauvery board because it is in compliance of a court order. Meanwhile, the EC added it would continue to use the voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) in Karnataka polls to promote voter confidence.
Despite the Facebook data leak row, Rawat said the social media site would continue to be the EC’s media partner during the Karnataka elections.