PrintFriendly
The Election Commission of India (ECI) released the schedule for the upcoming Karnataka assembly election on 29 March, 2023. This will be the fifteenth assembly election for the state of Karnataka. As per the announcements, the last date for filing of nomination was on 20 April, 2023 and last date for withdrawal of nomination was on 24 April, 2023. This time the elections in Karnataka will be held in a single phase on 10 May, 2023. The results of the election will be announced on May 13, 2023. Noteworthy, the term of the current Karnataka Legislative Assembly will come to an end as of May 24, 2023. Karnataka has 224 Assembly constituencies spanning six different regions – Bengaluru, Central, Coastal, Hyderabad-Karnataka, Mumbai-Karnataka and Southern Karnataka. Mumbai-Karnataka and Southern Karnataka are the largest regions of the state and consists of 50 and 51 Assembly seats, respectively. Of the 224 Assembly seats, 36 are reserved for SCs and 15 for STs.
As per the ECI announcements, there are a total of 5.21 crore voters in the state, which includes 2.59 women voters and 2.62 crore male voters. Of the total voters, there are currently 12.15 lakh voters above the age of 80 and 5.55 lakh people with disabilities (PWD) in the state. Interestingly, out of total Senior Citizens 16,976 are above the age of 100. 4,699 are third gender voters and 9.17 lakh are first-time voters. There are a total of 58,282 polling stations and the average number of voters per polling station is 883 in the state.
This election in Karnataka will be known for many firsts
• For the first time, the ECI has made VOTING FROM HOME available in the state for people above 80 years of age and those with disabilities in the upcoming elections. The EC team will go to there Homes with a form-12D to exercise their franchise and all the political parties will be informed whenever there is a movement for Voting From Home (VFH), the EC informed.
• Special booths will set up for vulnerable tribal groups and transgender.
• For people with disabilities a mobile application called SAKSHAM has been introduced to vote.
• Another mobile application, SUVIDHA has been launched for candidates to file nominations and affidavits.
• Candidates can also use the SUVIDHA portal for seeking permission for meetings and rallies.
• The ECI has also launched a campaign called KNOW YOUR CANDIDATE (KYC) for the benefit of voters. As per the EC, “Political parties have to inform the voters on their portals and social media platform as to why they chose a candidate with criminal background and gave ticket to contest the election”.
• The Commission has introduced e-VIGIL mobile application for anyone to lodge complaint relating to election code violations. The response time will be 100 minutes.
Karnataka is the first southern state where the BJP has scripted history by registering a thumping victory in 2008 and formed the state government under the leadership of Shri BS Yediyurappa. From the very inception, the BJP government in Karnataka has focused on good governance and development and since then, the strength and acceptability of BJP in Karnataka state politics increased significantly. With the love and affection of the people, the BJP got victories after victories. Even
In the last five years, the state under the Chief Ministership of Shri BS Yediyurappa and later, Shri Basavraj Bommai has seen remarkable growth and development on all fronts
in the 2018 assembly election, the BJP came out as the single-largest party by obtaining 104 seats in the 224-member legislature. On the contrary, the Congress received 80 seats and the Janata Dal (Secular) obtained 37 seats. While the Aam Aadmi Party, which contested 29 seats lost the deposits in all its seats. The BJP further improved its performance in 2019 Lok Sabha polls. It got 40 per cent of the votes with 26 Lok Sabha seats out of 28 seats.
With the announcements of the schedules and filing of nominations the political atmosphere of Karnataka is surcharged with election rallies, campaigns and road shows. The BJP has announced its final list of candidates on 19 April. Chief Minister Shri Basavraj Bommai from Shiggaon and others from their respective constituencies have already filed their nomination papers. Like other occasions, the politically vital Karnataka is likely to witness a three corner fight this time between the BJP, Congress and JD(S). However, it seems, with BJP’s phenomenal rise everywhere in the State, the JD(S) is facing its toughest challenge in the southern state this time.
In the last five years, the state under the Chief Ministership of Shri BS Yediyurappa and later, Shri Basavraj Bommai has seen remarkable growth and development on all fronts. Under the dynamic and visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the double engine BJP government has delivered significant numbers of development projects like the much awaited industrial corridor in Tumkur, Asia’s biggest helicopter manufacturing industry in Tumkur, Aircrafts manufacturing center in Karnataka, Vande Bharata trains, extention of Metro network & new Kempegowda Airport Terminal in Bengaluru, Bengaluru-Mysore Expressway etc. Thousands of kilometer new National Highway, New IIT, new Airports, World’s longest Railway platform etc. were also inaugurated by the PM recently and these are a few from the long list of development projects done by the BJP government. Today, Karnataka is far ahead from other states in various parameters of growth and development like FDI, innovation index, startup ecosystem and ease of doing business. This is the agenda of development and growth which the BJP government has implemented in the state.
While riding high on the victory crest in Gujarat and recently completed three North-East states and with the magnetism and charisma of PM Shri Narendra Modi, this time the BJP is making all-out efforts to snatch a thumping victory in the upcoming Karnataka election. Last week, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has already made a strong pitch for the return of the ruling BJP after getting yet another rousing reception by lakhs of people in his seventh visit to Karnataka. The massive outreach to voters programs, road shows, rallies and meetings of PM Shri Narendra Modi, BJP National President Shri JP Nadda and other senior leaders are also boosting the BJP’s campaign enormously. BJP’s performance has been very commendable last time and this time also it is heading for a clear victory.