Karnataka poll watch: BJP’s first list of candidates has no major surprises, and more

In the run up to the biggest election of 2018, TNM brings you Poll Watch every Monday and Thursday.
Karnataka poll watch: BJP’s first list of candidates has no major surprises, and more
Karnataka poll watch: BJP’s first list of candidates has no major surprises, and more
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Assembly polls in Karnataka is weeks away, and the current Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in the state will finish its full term of five years on May 28 – a feat no party has managed since 1985. But will the Congress manage to fight anti-incumbency in the one of the few states it governs in India following the Modi wave? Will the Yeddyurappa-led BJP pull off a win in the state under Amit Shah’s watchful eye? And will HD Kumaraswamy’s JD(S) get to a position where they can play kingmaker in Karnataka once again?

In the run up to the biggest election of 2018, TNM brings you Poll Watch every Monday and Thursday. It will be your one stop shop for all the updates on the campaigns, manifestos, and politicking ahead of the 2018 Karnataka Assembly elections.


 

  • The BJP beat the Congress in releasing its list of candidates first. The list, which was made public late on Sunday night, names ticket-holders in 72 out of the total 224 seats. Not surprisingly, Shivamogga MP BS Yeddyurappa, the party’s chief ministerial face, will contest from his home seat of Shikaripura.

  • His arch-rival within the party and one-time follower Eshwarappa (currently Leader of Opposition at the Legislative Council) has been given his preferred Shivamogga seat. B Sriramulu, the party MP from Ballari district and close aide of mining scam tainted  former minister Janardhan Reddy, is contesting from Chitradurga.

  • The Congress, on the other hand, is likely to announce its full list for the 224 seats on April 12. CM Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president G Parameshwara and other senior leaders are in Delhi for the final deliberations in the process.

  • The JD(S) was the first major party to announce its first list of candidates earlier in February.

  • Meanwhile, Congress President Rahul Gandhi finished his sixth leg of electoral campaigning in the state.  

  • Ahead of the party’s rally at Bengaluru’s Palace Grounds, Rahul met pourakarmikas and women entrepreneurs as part of the party’s pre-electoral outreach. He also took a metro ride along with Siddaramaiah and Parameshwara.

  • Bribery charges have been levelled against Hassan District-in-charge Minister A Manju by the district authorities for handing out land parcels through the Baigar Hukum scheme without following due procedure and after the Model Code of Conduct was in place.

  • In another contentious development, the Income Tax Department has sought details of payments made to contractors between January and March 2018, suspecting that government funds are being misused by the ruling Congress.

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