Karnataka Election Updates: BJP Meets EC Over Kharge's Snake Remark Against PM Modi, Says Cong Prez Should Be Banned from Campaign

Shivaleela Kulkarni is leading the Congress’ campaign in Karnataka’s Dharwad rural seat. But no, she is not contesting, only holding the fort for her husband Vinay who is barred from entering the constituency.

Former minister Kulkarni was arrested and remanded in judicial custody in November 2020 in connection with the murder of BJP leader and zila panchayat member Yogeshgouda Goudar in June 2016. He was granted bail by the Supreme Court on the condition that he would not be allowed to enter Dharwad, the district known as the cultural capital of Karnataka, without the permission of the jurisdictional court.

Congress president Kharge said the BJP’s failed double-engine model and questions the ruling party on the mounting inflation, unemployment rate and the GST.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Kaginele Mutt in Davanagere, Karnataka.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi held a roadshow in Ballari.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Panchamasali Mutt in Davanagere, Karnataka.

Former Deputy CM and Congress leader G Parameshwara suffered an injury in his head while campaigning in Koratagere constituency. The incident occurred when someone in the crowd reportedly pelted stones at him.

A Congress delegation met the Election Commission and lodged a complaint against BJP leaders including HM Amit Shah and UP CM Yogi for allegedly communal and baseless allegations against the Congress.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Friday lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party after an MLA from the saffron party in Karnataka called Sonia Gandhi a “vishkanya”.

Talking to reporters here, Baghel said, “It appears that the BJP has the right to speak against others, but if anyone speaks about them then there is a problem.” The Congress has demanded the expulsion of the BJP leader, Basangouda Patil Yatnal, asserting that his remarks are the “worst kind” of sacrilege and abuse against Gandhi at the “instance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai”.

“The modus operandi of BJP is clear. They target Sonia Gandhi every time. Their (BJP) national leaders have made baseless remarks against her (Sonia Gandhi) several times,” CM Baghel said.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Friday lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party after an MLA from the saffron party in Karnataka called Sonia Gandhi a “vishkanya”.

Talking to reporters here, Baghel said, “It appears that the BJP has the right to speak against others, but if anyone speaks about them then there is a problem.” The Congress has demanded the expulsion of the BJP leader, Basangouda Patil Yatnal, asserting that his remarks are the “worst kind” of sacrilege and abuse against Gandhi at the “instance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai”.

“The modus operandi of BJP is clear. They target Sonia Gandhi every time. Their (BJP) national leaders have made baseless remarks against her (Sonia Gandhi) several times,” CM Baghel said.

A BJP delegation met the Election Commission over Mallikarjun Kharge’s snake remark on PM Modi.

Karnataka Transport Minister B Sriramulu on Friday said the Kalyana Rajya Pragati Paksha (KRPP) party launched by his long-time friend and mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy would not affect the BJP’s prospects in the ensuing Assembly elections in the state.

Sriramulu, who is an influential Valmiki leader and the Ballari in-charge minister, exuded confidence that the saffron party would win more than 30 seats in the Kalyana Karnataka region.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday promised allocation of Rs one crore for each village panchayat, and Rs 5,000 crore for the Kalyana Karnataka region if his party is voted to power in the May 10 State Assembly polls.

Amid rains, the former Congress chief addressed an election rally, where he also promised to fill 50,000 government job vacancies.

“We will allocate Rs 5,000 crore for this region. Each village panchayat will get Rs one crore,” a drenched Gandhi said here in Kalaburagi district.

Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi said his party will form the government in Karnataka winning at least 150 seats in 224-member Assembly.

Addressing a poll rally in Karnataka, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said your vote will strengthen PM Modi’s hands in creating ‘Mahan Karnataka’.

BJP leader and Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday took aim at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over his “poisonous snake” jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the veteran leader’s remarks reflect his party’s “cultural and mindset”.

Speaking to reporters, the railway minister said the Congress has never refrained from launching personal attacks on Modi, noting that its former president Sonia Gandhi had once called him “maut ka saudagar”.

Vaishnaw asserted that people have a lot of trust in Modi who has been a leader like no others when it comes to having “moral authority”. People know he is taking the country in the right direction, he said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will hold rallies and take part in various programmes in north Karnataka region on Friday.

Amit Shah, who has already held a series of meetings in the north Karnataka region, has given clear directions to defeat Shettar. The BJP is worried over retaining Lingayat vote bank as Shettar and Savadi are claiming humiliation by the BJP. North Karnataka is considered as the Lingayat heartland.

Rahul Gandhi will address a public meeting at Jevargi in Kalaburgi district. He will attend an interaction programme called ‘Manila Samvad’ in Kushtagi of Koppal district. He is holding a mega roadshow in Ballary.

Yathindra Siddaramaiah, son of Karnataka opposition leader Siddaramaiah, on Friday said the BJP is trying to twist the road rage incident and project it as a clash between the saffron party and Congress.

Addressing reporters, Yathindra, who is also the sitting MLA from the Varuna constituency, said: “I have spoken to the SP and he ostated that the incident has no political connection,.

“The BJP is basically a party of rioting. Without any basis, the incident has been given a political colour. The party is expert in creating troubles. The Congress workers should not get provoked in spite of attempts by the BJP.” Yathindra further said that the BJP is strategising for political gains.

Kannada superstar Shivarajkumar said on Friday that he will campaign for the Congress party from Saturday.

His wife, Geetha Shivarajkumar is joining the Congress on Friday. Shivarajkumar while supporting his wife’s move stated that he is with his wife and will do campaigning for the Congress candidates.

The couple will campaign for Madhu Bangarappa, who is contesting from the Soraba seat on a Congress ticket. Madhu Bangarappa and Geetha Shivarajkumar are children of former Karnataka CM S. Bangarappa.

“A former union minister and sitting MLA called her (Sonia Gandhi) a poisonous maiden. Mr Yatnal I don’t know what will be done to your tongue, today you have called a woman who sacrificed the PM position, a woman whose husband sacrificed his life for unity, integrity and peace called her a poisonous maiden. Congress will not tolerate this in any way. I don’t want that rogues apology, I want the apology of the PM of the country and the apology of the Chief Minister of the state. This is not an insult to Sonai Gandhi, this is an insult to the womanhood who sacrificed the prime minister’s chair, who lost her husband for the sake of the country’s integrity. Today itself, Nadda ji if you have guts and respect for women, you have to expel him from the party, then only it shows that you respect a woman,” said KPCC chief, DK Shivakumar.

The Congress on Friday hit at the BJP demanding expulsion of its leader Basangouda Patil Yatnal for calling Sonia Gandhi a “vishkanya”.

Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka and its leaders have lost their mental as well as political balance.

“Facing a complete rout in the assembly elections, the BJP leadership is frustrated to the core and is hurling filth and muck, which is the product of their ugly character and dirty mindset of denigrating and insulting the Congress leadership. They have lost all sense of propriety, political balance and even a remote iota of decency and decorum,” he said in a statement.