Karnataka polls: This will be my last election, says Siddaramaiah

With the Karnataka Assembly election 2018 days away, BJP and Congress are running fierce campaigns. Catch today's latest Karnataka election campaign updates here

As the Karnataka Assembly election 2018 draws closer, top  Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress leaders are holding back-to-back rallies in the state to boost their respective parties' chances of securing a win in the crucial election. The Karnataka Election Watch and Delhi-based Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) on Monday analysed affidavits of  Karnataka polls candidates, filed with the Election Commission (EC). Of the 2,654 candidates in the fray for the May 12 Karnataka Assembly elections, at least 883 are crorepatis and 645 have criminal cases against them, said the two watchdogs.

"The average assets of the 883 (35 per cent) crorepati candidates are worth Rs 75.4 million. Of the 645 contestants, 254 (10 per cent) face serious criminal cases and 391 (15 per cent) face criminal cases," revealed the study. Affidavits of all the contesting 223 BJP candidates were analysed. Two hundred and eight (93 per cent) of the 223 candidates in fray from the BJP have declared assets worth over Rs 10 million. Of the 2,654 candidates in the fray for the May 12 Karnataka Assembly elections, at least 883 are crorepatis and 645 have criminal cases against them - the highest number among all the parties contesting.

A total of 207 (94 per cent) of the 220 candidates from the ruling Congress, 154 (77 per cent) of the 199 candidates from Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) and 199 (18 per cent) of the 1,090 Independents have declared assets more than Rs 10 million. The BJP candidates were found to be with the highest number of criminal cases against them, with 83 (37 per cent) of the 223 candidates in fray having criminal cases against them and 58 others (26 per cent) having serious criminal cases against them including murder.

Of the 220 candidates analysed from the ruling Congress, a total of 59 (27 per cent) have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits, while 32 (15 per cent) have serious criminal cases against them. Of the 199 JD-S candidates analysed by the study, 41 (21 per cent) have criminal cases, and 29 (15 per cent) have declared serious criminal cases in their poll affidavits. Of the total 1,090 Independents analysed, 108 (10 per cent) have declared criminal cases against themselves, and 70 (6 per cent) are accused of serious criminal charges.in Chitradurga, Raichur, Jamakhandi, and Hubli.

Karnataka will go to the polls on May 12 to elect its representatives for the 224-member Assembly. The results will be out on May 15. 

Here are the top 10 developments in the Karnataka Election 2018 campaign by Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi:

1. Won't contest election after this, says Siddaramaiah: The upcoming assembly elections in Karnataka will be the last one I will contest, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told NDTV. "I said it on the floor of the house once that I will not contest again but the high command directed me to contest in this election because I have been there for five years as Chief Minister and I was told to take responsibility," Siddaramaiah said while on the campaign trail in Chamundeshwari, one of the two seats he is contesting this time.

2. PM is always on 'airplane mode' and never on 'work mode': Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said the latter is either on airplane or speaker mode, but never on work mode.

The Congress chief made the remark while campaigning in Bengaluru Rural ahead of crucial Karnataka polls.

"There are three modes in a mobile phone, work mode, speaker mode and airplane mode. Modi Ji only uses speaker mode and airplane mode, he never uses work mode," Gandhi said, reported ANI.

Earlier in the day, the Gandhi scion took a cycle ride in Karnataka's Kolar region while campaigning for his party candidate.

Rahul Gandhi while campaigning in Kolar alleged that the Centre was looting public in the name of increasing fuel prices.

The Congress president, who rode a bicycle to protest against rising fuel prices in his 'Jana Aashirwada Yatre' in Kolar, appealed to the public to end governance of those favouring corrupt leaders.
 

 

Congress President Rahul Gandhi rides a bicycle to protest against the fuel price hike at Malur in Kolar district on Monday

3) Manmohan Singh accuses Modi of trying to polarise society: Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of trying to "polarise" the society in the Karnataka Assembly elections, his predecessor Manmohan Singh said on Monday it was "shocking" that he was "stooping so low" and using language that was unbecoming of a prime minister.

He also launched a scathing attack on the Modi government for its "disastrous policies" and "economic mismanagement". 

Singh castigated Modi for personalised attacks and said no prime minister had used the office to "say things about his opponents that Mr Modi has been doing day in and day out....It is not good for the country".

He said the outcome of the Karnataka polls would have an impact on national politics as it was one of the most prosperous states in the country.

Manmohan Singh attacked the government over a series of banking frauds, saying the money swindled almost quadrupled from Rs 28,416 crore in September 2013 to Rs 1.1 trillion (Rs 1.11 lakh crore) in September 2017.

4) Siddaramaiah says minorities terrorised under BJP rule: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah alleged that minorities in the country were feeling terrorised under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Karnataka Chief Minister further dubbed BJP as a communal party and accused it of jeopardising the religious harmony in the nation.

"The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is a communal party that makes religions and communities fight with each other and destroy all equality in society. A leader of that kind of a party is in power as a Prime Minister. In the past 4 years, minorities are facing a terrorised state of affairs. Under Atrocities Act, if there is a caste-related violence, accused should be arrested immediately. However, they (Centre) have diluted the act, but Prime Minister Modi has not opened his mouth on it," he said at a public rally in Chamrajnagar on Monday, reported ANI.

Siddaramaiah even took a jibe at Prime Minister Modi over the latter's 'Acche Din' ideology.

"He (Prime Minister Modi) calls himself a 'chowkidar' (watchman). He let Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya escape, what kind of 'chowkidar' is he? He keeps saying 'Achhe Din' but where are Achhe Din'? He thinks that just because he is saying it in Hindi we won't understand, but we understand pretty well," he said.

The Congress Party leader further claimed that if Prime Minister Modi tried to change the Constitution, there would be 'bloodshed' in the nation.

5) 83 BJP candidates have criminal cases against them in Karnataka election: The BJP candidates were found to be with the highest number of criminal cases against them, with 83 (37 per cent) of the 223 candidates in fray having criminal cases against them and 58 others (26 per cent) having serious criminal cases against them including murder.

Of the 220 candidates analysed from the ruling Congress, a total of 59 (27 per cent) have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits, while 32 (15 per cent) have serious criminal cases against them.

93% BJP candidates declared assests worth Rs 10 million: Affidavits of all the contesting 223 BJP candidates were analysed. Two hundred and eight (93 per cent) of the 223 candidates in fray from the BJP have declared assets worth over Rs 10 million, the highest number among all the parties contesting.

A total of 207 (94 per cent) of the 220 candidates from the ruling Congress, 154 (77 per cent) of the 199 candidates from Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) and 199 (18 per cent) of the 1,090 Independents have declared assets more than Rs 10 million.

Singh also attacked the government over a series of banking sector frauds, saying that swindled money almost quadrupled from Rs 284.16 billion in September 2013 to Rs 1.11 trillion in September 2017.

"Perpetrators of these frauds, meanwhile, escape with impunity. The economic mismanagement of the Modi government, and I say this with great care and responsibility, is slowly eroding the general public's trust in the banking sector," he said.

6) Modi interacts with BJP Yuva Morcha workers: Prime Minister Modi on Monday interacted with the Karnataka's Bharatiya Janata Party Yuva Morcha Karyakartas (workers) via the Narendra Modi (NaMo) App.

In his address, Modi hit out at the Opposition for questioning technology – from Aadhaar to EVMs – and said the BJP wanted to promote a modern India by giving importance to skill development and innovation.

The PM said if BJP came to power in the state, 60 state-of-the-art Namma BPO complexes would be established across the state with a corpus of Rs 2.5-billion low-interest loans to encourage local entrepreneurs to set of BPO business.

He also appealed to BJP workers not to indulge in violence. "Violence in any form should not be allowed by any political party or ideology in democracy and I appeal to BJP’s youth karyakartas in Karnataka not to act in vengeance, even when they have lost several of their karyakartas in political violence," Modi said.

Modi has been using the NaMo app increasingly to reach out to party workers. Before Monday's interaction, he had interacted with the Kisan Morcha workers and women's wing members of the BJP state unit using the app.

Read our detailed copy on yesterday's campaigning for the Karnataka Assembly election 2018: Karnataka polls: Siddaramaiah says Cong to win with full majority; updates  
 

7) My contest is with Yeddyurappa, not Modi, says Siddaramaiah: Challenging BJP's CM face Yeddyurappa and Modi for an open debate, Siddaramaiah on Monday underlined that his contest was with Yeddyurappa and not Modi.

"PM Modi is deliberately confusing Karnataka voters with his bombastic speeches on non-issues. All hot air & no substance. My contest is not with him. It is with Yeddyurappa," Siddaramaiah said in a tweet. 

In a series of tweet he attacked the BJP for failing to keep the promises it made in 2014 Lok Sabha Election among other issues.

8) Adityanath resumes Karnataka election campaign today: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday is scheduled to visit Karnataka as he resumes his election campaign. Adityanath was scheduled to visit Chennabasava Patta Devara Mutt in Bhalki town at 10:10 am. He is also scheduled to address a public meeting there.    

Adityanath will also be addressing five public meetings later in the day at Humnabad, Gokak, Yemakanmardi village, Khanapur, and Belgaum Rural.

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister was scheduled to campaign in Karnataka until May 5 but he had to cut short his election campaign tour after the deadly dust storms in his state.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had earlier slammed Yogi for campaigning in his state while the latter's state was saw loss of life and property due to the natural disaster. 

9) Amit Shah holding 4 public programmes in Karnataka today: BJP National President Amit Shah on Monday will address a pubic meeting in Naragund Assembly constituency's Gandhi Chowk, in Gadag district, at 11 am. After that, he will hold a road show from Harapanahalli Assembly constituency's Harihara Circle to IB Road Circle, in Davangere district, at 3 pm. At 5.30 pm, Shah will hold another road show from JP Park (Mathikere) to the railway station (Yeshwanthpur) at the Rajarajeshwari Nagar Assembly constituency. At the end of the day, at 7 pm, Shah will hold a public meeting at Nelamangala Assembly constituency's ITI College Ground in Bangalore Rural district.

10) Rahul Gandhi's 9th Karnataka visit this year starts today: Rahul Gandhi is on his ninth visit to Karnataka this year from Monday as part of his election campaign in the state ahead of the May 12 Assembly election. Gandhi is visiting the state from May 7 to May 10.   

Rahul Gandhi will be on his eighth visit to Karnataka this year from Thursday as a part of his election campaign in the state ahead of the May 12 assembly election.

Earlier, Gandhi had been on a two-day visit to Karnataka from May 3.  

With agency inputs