 "Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023: All you need to know about the polls")
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced the dates for the Karnataka assembly polls. The state elections will be held on May 10 in a single phase. The election results will be declared on May 13. The election will have over 917,000 first-time voters. The term of the current assembly expires on May 24. According to information available on the Election commission website, 52.1 million voters are eligible to vote in the upcoming elections.
Why is Karnataka significant?
The Karnataka election assumes significance as it is one of the major political battles in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The 2024 Lok Sabha elections will see the incumbent PM Narendra Modi eyeing a third straight term at the centre. Of the 224 seats in the Karnataka assembly, 36 are reserved for candidates from scheduled castes (SC) and 15 for scheduled tribes (ST).
In South India, Karnataka is the only state where the BJP has enjoyed power. In the last elections conducted in 2023, the BJP emerged as the single largest party in the state.
Sitting Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai and former CM B.S. Yediyurappa started their "Jana Sankalpa Yatra" for the BJP on October 11, 2022. The yatra was designed to coincide with Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra in the state, PTI reported.
Overview of the Karnataka elections
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- 52.1 million voters, with 16,976 older than 100.
- Facility to "vote at home" for voters over 80 years of age.
- 1,215,000 voters are over 80.
- 58,282 polling stations have been set up for the polls.
- The average number of voters per polling station comes to 883.
- A total of 4,751 candidates have enrolled in the third gender category.
Key faces in the upcoming elections
Serving as CM of Karnataka, B S Bommai is the son of the former CM of Karnataka and Union Minister of Human Resource Development, S R Bommai. He represents the BJP from the Shiggaon constituency.
Former Karnataka CM and current Opposition leader, Siddaramaiah, is also in contention for another tenure as Karnataka CM if the Congress comes to power. In a recent statement, he announced this would be his last election. He will be the Congress candidate from Varuna in the Mysuru district.
Former Karnataka CM B S Yediyurappa is currently a sitting MLA of the BJP. He represents the Shikaripura constituency in the Shimoga district. He has been elected eight times from this seat.