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KARNATAKA
Breaking A Jinx In
The Election Commission has announced Karnataka Assembly election dates. In a single-phase election the state will go to poll on May 10 and the results will be out on May 13. The announcement of the poll comes a few days after Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai scrapped the 4 percent quota for poor Muslims and distributed it equally between the Lingayat and Vokkaligga communities.
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Muslims have been brought in the Economically Weaker Section category where they will be sharing the 10 percent reservation meant for EWS.
For a party facing serious charges of corruption, this was the best way of ensuring the bigger support in the polls rather than the minori-
EC has announced Karnataka Assembly election dates. In a single-phase election State will go to poll on May 10 and the results will be out on May 13. The announcement of the poll comes a few days after CM Basavaraj Bommai scrapped the 4% quota for poor Muslims and distributed it equally between the Lingayat and Vokkaligga communities ty community which has been rendered electorally inconsequential by the BJP. Significantly, Asaduddin Owaisi of the MIM pointed out that while “BJP’s Muslim hatred is well-known. But Congress and JDS (Janata Dal-Secular) are also silent. What is their stand?” The reason is not too difficult to figure out. Both the JD-S and Congress are also dependent on the votes of Lingayats and the Vokkaliggas. The Congress particularly can’t risk losing the support of the two dominant communities, especially Vokkaliggas, as it desperately needs to win these elections to increase the number of states in its belt. . For the JD-S, which is already a fringe party, these polls are about its political future. These elections are crucial for Chief Minister Bommai, who has to break a jinx as per which a ruling party in Karnataka has not returned to power since 1985.
A defeat here could damage BJP’s prospects in neighbouring states.
The news of the demise of senior BJP leader and Pune MP Girish Bapat ji is extremely sad. Your entire life was devoted to public service and organization. In this hour of grief, the BJP family is with the bereaved family members. May God give the departed soul a place at his feet. Om Shanti!
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