Karnataka Assembly election 2018 : EC to declare date at 11 am; 10 updates
The Election Commission is set to announce on Tuesday the dates and polling schedule for the Karnataka Assembly Elections to choose the 224 members of the Karnataka Assembly whose tenure ends in May 2018. The polls are being seen politically crucial for the ruling Congress, as well as the BJP, as Karnataka is the only big state where the former is in power after losing a string of Assembly elections to the saffron party in the past few years. Here are a few things you must know about Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 1) Siddaramaiah govt has announced minority status to the Lingayat community: The Karnataka government recently accorded a minority status to the Lingayat community. This came days after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah-led government accepted the suggestions of the Nagamohan Das committee to grant a separate religion status to the Lingayats.
2) Karnataka Assembly election significance: The Karnataka Assembly elections 2018 are important the Congress party, currently in power in the state, as this is the last big state where it is still in power after losing a string of Assembly elections to the BJP in the past few years. It is also important for the BJP, which will be trying to unseat the Congress and push its call for Çongress-mukt Bharat'. 3) Seven former JDS MLAs join Congress in Karnataka: In a blow to JD(S) headed by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, seven party rebel former MLAs on Sunday joined the ruling Congress in the presence of party president Rahul Gandhi. 4) Different regions and historical voting trends: In Karnataka, the 2008 assembly elections was won by BJP comfortably with 110 seats, whereas the 2013 assembly elections was swept by the Congress by winning 122 seats. 5) Amit Shah sees "BJP tsunami" coming in Karnataka: Amit Shah asserted there was a "tsunami" in favour of his party which will not only defeat the ruling Congress but also 'uproot' it in the coming assembly polls in Karnataka. 6) 'Congress adopting divide and rule policy in Karnataka': Amit Shah accused that the Congress party is adopting divide and rule policy to win the upcoming Assembly elections 7) Amit Shah sees Siddaramaiah's 'Rs 4 million' watch as an evidence of corruption: BJP president Amit Shah aimed a jibe at Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, equating his "expensive" watch with corruption in the state."CM Siddaramaiah is the only socialist leader who wears a wristwatch worth Rs 40 lakhs. This watch is an evidence of his corruption," said Shah. 8) 'Lingayat move aimed at preventing Yeddyurappa from becoming CM': Amit Shah said that the Siddaramaiah government's move to accord separate religious minority status to Lingayats and Veerashaiva Lingayats was aimed at preventing B S Yeddyurappa from becoming Chief Minister. 9) Amit Shah visits 110-year-old Lingayat seer Sri Shivakumara Swami: Shah on Monday began his two-day tour of Karnataka by visiting and seeking blessings of Sri Shivakumara Swami of Siddhaganga Mutt in Tumakuru, a revered seer of the Lingayat community. 10) Rahul Gandhi's temple-run ahead of Karnataka elections: Congress president Rahul Gandhi landed in Mysore on Saturday and visited Chamundeshwari temple atop the Chamundi hills. Before he had visited Gokharnatha temple at Mangalore, Saint Rozario Church and Ullal Dargah on the same day.
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