Karnataka Election: Amit Shah Rules Out Alliance with JD(S); BJP Confident of Returning to Power with Absolute Majority

Amit Shah said the BJP has never questioned party veteran BS Yediyurappa’s seniority.

Union Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah on Wednesday ruled out forming an alliance with Janata Dal (S) for the Karnataka Assembly elections. Shah said the BJP will contest all seats in Karnataka and claimed that the party will cross halfway mark.

The Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday announced that Karnataka Assembly elections will be held on May 10 and counting on May 13, the battleground for polls will be dominated by a two-way battle between the BJP and the Congress. While both parties are yet to release their official poll manifesto, there are several key issues that would affect polling in the state. READ MORE

Congress “Dis’Qualified MP” Rahul Gandhi will launch his campaign in poll-bound Karnataka next month from Kolar, in what is being perceived as a symbolic message that he is not ready to back down from a fight.

Kolar is the place where the former Congress chief made the controversial ‘Modi surname’ remark in 2019 that led to his disqualification from Parliament after he was convicted by a Surat court. READ MORE

Karnataka Congress Chief D K Shivakumar said his party does not need any alliance and will the state assembly elections by a two-third majority.

“We don’t need any alliance. Congress party will win its own. I am expecting a two-thirds majority. Rahul is coming here on April 5. He is not afraid of disqualification, jail or anything. Without the Congress party, the country cannot be united,” ANI quoted Shivakumar as saying.

The ruling BJP is confident of returning to power in Karnataka with an absolute majority, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Wednesday.

Bommai said he had toured almost all the constituencies in the State in the last three-and-half months. “I am fully confident that we will get an absolute and clear majority and the BJP government will come (back) to power in 2023,” he said.

The BJP will return to power with “full majority” in Karnataka under the leadership of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and his predecessor B S Yediyurappa, Union minister Pralhad Joshi asserted on Wednesday after the Election Commission announced the schedule for the state polls.

Joshi, the Union minister of parliamentary affairs and MP from Karnataka’s Dharwad seat, said he was confident about the BJP coming back to power for the second consecutive term because of its government’s “historic” work for the development of the state.

“In view of the work that our double engine government has done for the development of the state under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, I am fully confident that BJP will return to power with full majority in Karnataka under the leadership of Yediyurappa ji and Bommai ji,” he said.

Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Wednesday welcomed the Election Commission’s decision to hold a single-phase Assembly election in Karnataka on May 10, and said that his party was prepared for the polls.

Accusing the ruling BJP of making the election system corrupt, the former Chief Minister said he hoped that the Election Commission would conduct free and fair elections.

“We had expected that the elections would be declared yesterday or today….I welcome that this election is happening in a single phase,” Siddaramaiah said.

With the Election Commission of India announcing the dates for the Karnataka Assembly election, Chief Electoral Officer of the state Manoj Kumar Meena on Wednesday said the Model Code of Conduct had come into effect and that the administrative and police officers at the district level must implement it strictly.

“The Model Code of Conduct will come into effect from here onwards. This will be implemented strictly by all the district returning officers and police officers,” Meena said.

As the poll bugle was sounded with the announcement of schedule for Karnataka Assembly elections 2023, Congress exuded confidence saying that the people of the state will support Rahul Gandhi.

Congress leader Salman Khurshid said, “People there [in Karnataka] would vote for us. Karnataka people will support Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge. Rahul had made those remarks there and people will give response.”

The Election Commission on Wednesday announced key dates ahead of the Karnataka assembly elections 2023. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar addressed a press conference at 11:30 am during which he made the announcement.

The poll panel had issued an invite to announce the election schedule. The term of the 224-member Karnataka Assembly ends on May 24. The elections will take place in a single phase on May 10.

FULL SCHEDULE:

Date for nominations: April 13 Last date for filing nominations: April 20 Date for scrutiny of nominations: April 21 Last date for withdrawal of candidatures: April 24 Date of poll: May 10 – Single-phase voting Date of counting: May 13

KNOW MORE HERE

On protests by Banjara and other communities over SC internal reservation issue, CM Bommai said on Wednesdai, “It’s Congress’s plan to misguide these communities. We have provided justice to every community. I have spoken to heads of these communities to clear the confusion surrounding it.”

Former CM and Karnataka Congress leader Siddaramaiah hinted at BJP, JDS planning for “internal understanding” in this elections, saying that he has an indication about it.

“There might be a match fixing. Whether old Mysuru or new Mysuru, last time it happened. We will have to wait and watch but I have an indication that this time they will do an internal understanding,” he said.

Basavaraj Bommai claimed that a meeting was held between leadership of Congress and JDS in Hyderabad on being asked whether BJP and JDS have a secret pact for upcoming elections.

“No, as per the information that’s available to me there was meeting held by Congress with JDS in Hyderabad.”

Addressing media after poll date announcement, BJP leader and Karnataka Chief Minister Basvaraj Bommai said that the BJP is an ever-ready party, adding that they are prepared for the polls”.

“Election Commission has announced the dates. Polls will take place on 10th May & results will be announced on 13th May. BJP is an ever-ready party and we are prepared for the polls. BJP is going to come back to power with a massive majority,” Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai said.

Bommai added that “vote bank politics of Congress has been broken down”.

Bommai also hit out at KPCC chief DK Shivakumar and said he “has become desperate and is pleading our MLA’s asking them to join Congress”.

Congress leader and Chittapur MLA Priyank Kharge exuded confidence and said, “We are winning this election. The people of Karnataka are fed up with the 40% government, BJP playing the caste politics, and unemployment is at its highest. This time it is going to be Congress all the way. Kharge ji and Rahul ji want 150 seats delivered from Karnataka; CM will be decided by party high-command later.”

After the announcement of Karnataka election dates, Congress leader and LoP Karnataka Legislative Council BK Hariprasad said, “We’re ahead of BJP in the state as we started our election campaign exercise three years ago after DK Shivakumar took over as the party’s state president. The exercise to select election candidates has been underway for the past six months. The party’s screening committee will finalise everything soon.”

Right after the dates were announced, BJP said it would bloom in Karnataka.

ECI has announced the Election dates and to conduct the elections peacefully and impartiality, the police department will work impartially with EC. “I request the voters of the country to actively participate and exercise their constitutional rights in the election which is a festival of public governance,” said the Minister.

Schedule for the much awaited Karnataka assembly elections have been announced by the Election Commission of India (ECI). Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said voting will take place in a single phase on May 10. The results will be out on May 13.