Page 5 - Karnataka Assembly Elections

BJP drops PM's day-long road-show in Bengaluru after public express concern

The BJP on Thursday dropped plans to have an eight-hour road-show by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Saturday following concerns expressed by Bengalureans over difficulties that they will face with such a day-long programme. Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje said the Prime Minister would now hold a road-show on two days -- 10 am to 1.30 pm on Saturday, and 10 am to 2.30 pm on Sunday. The party on Wednesday said Modi would hold a 36.6 km road-show here on Saturday -- covering a distance of 10.1 km from 11 am to 1 pm, and 26.5 km from 4 pm to 10 pm. "The public has expressed that it will be a problem if the road-show is held for the entire day. So, we have respected their feeling and spread it over two days", Karandlaje told reporters on Thursday. Party leaders said the road-shows on May 6 and 7 would pass through 19 of the total 28 Assembly constituencies in the city. Karnataka votes on May 10. May 8 is the last day for campaigning and the votes would be counted on May

Electoral bonds worth Rs 970 crore sold ahead of upcoming Cognizant

This time, sales at the SBI branch in Hyderabad were the highest, followed by Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, and New Delhi

Karnataka Assembly elections 2023: A look at six major political regions

The battle to end coalition govt in the state has already begun with all three major political parties intensifying their approach to woo the voters

Karnataka elections: What is Bajrang Dal, the outfit Congress plans to ban?

The Congress said in its manifesto that it will ban organisations promoting enmity or hatred, whether among majority or minority communities

Why couldn't 'omnipresent' Modi see loot by BJP govt in Karnataka: Priyanka

In a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress General secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday wondered why the "omnipresent and omniscient" leader could not see the "loot" happening in Karnataka by the '40 per cent commission government' of the BJP. Addressing a public rally here in Vijayapura district ahead of Assembly election on May 10, she sought to know why the 'vikas purush' (development man) Narendra Modi still says that he has a dream of developing Karnataka and presents it to the nation as the "development model". The whole world calls the Prime Minister "omnipotent", supreme, and "greatest of all" and 'vikas purush', the Congress leader said in a sarcastic tone, adding that Modi keeps saying that it is his dream of developing the state and projecting it as a model for the rest of the country. "You (Modi) are supreme, omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. Why couldn't you fulfil your dream? When your own government was plundering people by becoming '

Cong manifesto for Karnataka polls triggers war of words in Madhya Pradesh

The promise to ban the Bajrang Dal by the Congress in its manifesto for the Karnataka Assembly polls has triggered a war of words in Madhya Pradesh, with the state home minister questioning the Hanuman bhakti (devotion to Hanuman) of Kamal Nath, the Congress state chief. In a letter to Nath on Wednesday, Home Minister Narottam Mishra said, The Congress may go to any extent for the politics of appeasement. In his counter, Nath said that even the Supreme Court is saying that action should be taken against those spreading hatred. The Congress, in its election manifesto for the May 10 Karnataka polls, said it will take decisive action as per law including imposing a ban on organisations like Bajrang Dal and PFI and alleged that they were promoting enmity among communities. Bajrang Dal is a right-wing Hindu outfit and has often courted controversies over vigilante action. Bajrang is another name for Lord Hanuman and the outfit's insignia carries the picture of the deity. I have written

Karnataka elections 2023: PM Modi to hold rallies, Cong releases manifesto

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to campaign in Chitradurga, Vijayanagar, Sindhnaur, and Kalaburgi

Karnataka election: 1 mn jobs, EV hub among promises in BJP manifesto

Pledge to upgrade state schools, provide ease of living for Bengaluru apartment residents

Phone thrown towards PM during roadshow, police claims no ill intention

A mobile phone was thrown towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi who was holding a roadshow standing on a specially designed vehicle, as part of campaigning for the May 10 Assembly elections, police said. The phone was hurled out of "excitement" by a woman BJP worker who had no "ill-intention", according to police. The phone landing on the bonnet of the vehicle after it was flung at the vehicle did not go unnoticed by the Prime Minister who indicated about the object to the Special Protection Group (SPG) sleuths who were accompanying him. "The Prime Minister was under the protection of the SPG. The lady (whose phone fell on PM's vehicle) was a BJP worker. The SPG people returned it to her later," Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), Alok Kumar told PTI. "In the excitement (of the event), it was thrown and she had no (ill) intention but we are trying to trace the lady because the phone was handed over to her by the SPG sleuths," he added. The incident happened when

Modi holds mega roadshow in Mysuru, winds up 2-day whirlwind election tour

Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted a mega roadshow in Mysuru, winding up his whirlwind two-day campaign tour of Karnataka during which he addressed six public rallies. In what appeared to be a rerun of sorts of the popular 'Jambu Savari' witnessed on the last day of the annual Mysuru Dasara, the Prime Minister's roadshow passed through various parts of the city. Modi flew into the heritage city from Beluru in Hassan district this evening after addressing his third public meeting of the day in the state and mounted on a specially designed vehicle. Flanked by Mysuru MP Pratap Simha, former ministers K S Eshwarappa and S A Ramadas, the Prime Minister wore the traditional Mysuru 'Peta' and a saffron shawl. He waved at the large number of people who had gathered on both sides of the road. Eshwarappa recently announced retirement from electoral politics, while sitting MLA Ramadas was denied ticket to contest in the May 10 Assembly elections. A cultural troupe of men and women in ...

Congress associated with '85% commission': PM Modi in poll-bound Karnataka

Coming down heavily on the Congress on the issue of corruption, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the grand old party had always been associated with "85 per cent commission", and its "shahi parivar" (royal family) was out on bail in connection with scams worth thousands of crores of rupees. Addressing three rallies in 'Old Mysuru' (South Karnataka), where BJP is considered to be weak and is focusing on winning more seats in this Vokkaliga-dominated region with an aim at returning to power with a majority, he hit out at opponents JD(S) and Congress, calling them a "sign of instability". He cautioned the people that they could not afford to give the state's fortune into the hands of the Congress, a party "whose main aim is to serve a family sitting in Delhi", and the JD(S) which is "completely a private limited party of a family". Addressing a public meeting in Kolar, Modi while targeting Congress on corruption, trained guns at its president M Mallikarjun Kharge for his ...

Karnataka Assembly polls: BJP president Nadda to release manifesto tomorrow

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is expected to release its election manifesto for Karnataka Assembly polls on Monday, said sources.The manifesto will be released by party president JP Nadda in the presence of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and party veteran BS Yediyurappa.Sources said the party manifesto may focus on welfare measures for the youth, infrastructure development and women empowerment.Further, to take the first-time voters on board, a special announcement can be made for the youth and girl students who have passed class 12.In the 2018 election manifesto, BJP touched every section of society. The party had also included cow protection measures in its manifesto.Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing an election rally in Kolar on Sunday, came down heavily on Congress for drawing parallels between him and a snake.PM Modi said that the people of Karnataka will give the party a "befitting answer" in the upcoming Assembly elections.Congress president ...

BJP seeking votes in PM Modi's name, Cong going 'vocal for local': Jairam

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday said that while the BJP was seeking votes in the Karnataka Assembly polls in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress had adopted the PM's "vocal for local" slogan and was raising issues of the people of the state. In an interview with PTI, Ramesh said Karnataka, after four years of the BJP rule, needs 'Vitamin-P' in which the P stands for "performance" of the Congress and not "polarisation" of the BJP. Using armed forces' terminology, Ramesh said the Congress is not worried about the "carpet bombing" campaign strategy of Prime Minister Modi and other senior BJP leaders as it has enough "anti-aircraft guns" to deal with it. The more the carpet bombing campaign the BJP indulges in, the more clearly it indicates its "despair and desperation", the Congress general secretary in-charge communications said. Ramesh, who is a star campaigner for the party, said the Karnataka polls were about the BJP's "threats" versus Congress' .

They must have gathered some knowledge about EVMs: Himanta on Cong claims

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said the Congress must have gathered some knowledge about EVMs, as it has been predicting victory for the grand old party in the Karnataka Assembly polls. The southern state will go to polls on May 10 and counting of votes will be undertaken on May 13, with the Congress seeking to oust the incumbent BJP government. Earlier, they (Congress) used to accuse us of problems with EVMs... So, if they can predict the result in advance, then I have to say that the party in Karnataka must have gathered some knowledge about EVMs, Sarma told reporters here. The Congress has sounded confident of emerging victorious in Karnataka. Senior Congress leader and former minister M B Patil told PTI that it will come to power on its own with 130-odd seats out of 224 in the southern state. The BJP has announced candidates in 212 constituencies, the Congress 165, while the JD(S) has named 93 nominees.

Congress, JD(S) responsible for political instability in K'taka: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday cautioned people against the "dynastic Congress and JD(S)", saying both parties were responsible for political instability in Karnataka. Modi also alleged that both parties saw Karnataka as an ATM, and that they found opportunity in instability. The Congress and the JD(S) are responsible for the instability. They pretend to be two separate parties but are one in their hearts. They are together in Delhi. They assist each other in Parliament, he said at a public meeting in Channapatna in Ramanagara district, which is a JD(S) bastion. It was here that the JD(S) second-in-command H D Kumaraswamy won the 2018 assembly election defeating BJP candidate C P Yogeeshwara, and is again seeking reelection. Continuing his attack against both rival parties, Modi said, Both are dynastic parties and encourage corruption. Both the parties see opportunity in instability. The Prime Minister added, "For a very long time, Karnataka has seen the drama of unstable

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra seeks to reach out to workers of Anganwadis & ASHA

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday said if her party is voted to power in the Karnataka Assembly election, the honorarium of workers at major Anganwadis will be increased to Rs 15,000 per month, and for those in mini Anganwadis, it will be hiked to Rs 10,000. The party will also increase the honorarium of the Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers to Rs 8,000 per month, and Rs 5,000 per month for women working for the mid-day meal programme, she said. In a public meeting here in Belagavi district bordering Maharashtra, the Congress leader said, Our party has decided to increase the honorarium up to Rs 15,000 for my sisters in major Anganwadis and Rs 10,000 for women in mini Anganwadis. The honorarium of the ASHA workers will be hiked to Rs 8,000 and those working for the mid-day meals will get Rs 5,000. Vadra also promised to give Rs three lakh to the workers of main Anganwadis on their retirement or to their nominee in the event of death due to ..

People of Karnataka will give befitting answer on May 10: PM Modi

Coming down heavily on Congress for drawing parallels between a snake and Modi, the Prime Minister said that the people of Karnataka will give the party a befitting answer in the upcoming elections

BJP urges EC to file criminal case against Kharge for poisonous snake barb

A BJP delegation on Friday met the Election Commission and requested the poll panel to register a criminal case against Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and bar him from campaign in the Karnataka assembly polls over his "poisonous snake" barb at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Union minister Bhupender Yadav, who led the BJP delegation, told reporters that Kharge's comment was not merely a slip of the tongue but part of the Congress' "hate politics". BJP general secretary Tarun Chugh said Kharge is a "habitual offender". Yadav said the Congress has a history of launching personal attacks on Modi. The BJP has demanded registration of an FIR under IPC Sections 499 and 500, which deal with defamation, and Section 504, which deals with the offence of deliberate insults and provocation. The delegation also included BJP chief spokesperson Anil Baluni and party leader Om Pathak. Addressing a campaign rally for the May 10 Karnataka assembly polls, Kharge likened Modi to a poisonous sna

PM Modi to embark on two-day visit to poll-bound Karnataka on Saturday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-day visit to poll-bound Karnataka on Saturday and Sunday where he will address six public meetings and hold two roadshows. According to his itinerary, Modi will fly from Delhi on Saturday morning by a special aircraft to Bidar airport from where he will take a helicopter to Humnabad in Bidar district to address a public meeting at 11 am. After the meeting, he will fly to Vijayapura where he will address a public gathering at 1 pm. He would then fly to Kudachi in Belagavi district where he will address people at about 2.45 pm. Later, Modi would fly to Bengaluru in the evening to hold a road show in Bengaluru North. After staying in Bengaluru, he would then depart from Raj Bhavan on Sunday morning to fly to Kolar where he will address a public meeting at 11.30 am. From Kolar, the Prime Minister would then fly to Channapatna in Ramanagara district to address a public meeting at 1.30 pm. Modi would then go to the temple town of Belur

Ban Amit Shah from campaigning for Karnataka Assembly polls: Congress to EC

Congress' Karnataka unit on Thursday demanded the Election Commission to ban Union Home Minister Amit Shah from campaigning in the state for the Assembly polls, scheduled to be held on May 10