Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy says have stopped Modi's Ashwamedha horse: Updates

Karnataka shows what Modi should most fear ahead of 2019 general elections

As a politician, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is distinguished by his relentlessness. Every vote, every constituency, every election matters. Modi has built his Bharatiya Janata Party into an electoral juggernaut that runs 21 of India’s 29 states; 70 per cent of India’s population is ruled by the BJP at both the state and the federal level.

In some of these states, such as the vast northern territory of Uttar Pradesh, the party swept elections on its own. In others, such as UP’s struggling neighbor Bihar, the BJP stole away one member of the ruling coalition in order to seize power for itself. In yet others, such as the coastal state of Goa, the opposition Congress Party in fact did better than the BJP in the elections only to discover that Modi’s lieutenants were far more skillful alliance-builders.

Last weekend, in the southern state of Karnataka -- home to India’s IT capital, Bangalore -- Modi discovered the limits of this strategy. Karnataka was the last major state ruled by Congress; after a bruising election campaign, the BJP ended up winning more seats in the state assembly, though not quite enough to form an outright majority.

Tejashwi Yadav calls for united opposition against BJP's 'dictatorship'

"All the opposition parties need to come together and raise voice against what is being done by BJP across India. We need to oppose their dictatorship. If something is not done now, then soon there will be no Constitution. The Britishers came to India and treated us like slaves. Now BJP is doing the same," Tejashwi Yadav said at the 'Samvidhan Bachao Andolan' rally in Patna on Friday.

He added, "The BJP leaders will not follow any of the Consitution rules as they feel Prime Minister Narendra Modi is bigger than Constitution.

"If the Consitution is same for all, then why Karnataka is different from what happened in Bihar?" he asked.

Earlier on Friday, Tejashwi along with other alliance leaders handed over letters to the Governor, stating that they were the single largest party elected in 2015 Bihar Legislative Assembly election and hence should be invited to form a government in the state.

Why Karnataka's new government has a job on its hands despite 8.5% growth

Karnataka is grappling with income inequality, an agrarian crisis and child malnutrition even though its economy grew at 8.5%–second-highest among 10 states and union territories in 2017–to a gross domestic product of Rs 9.5 lakh crore ($141 billion) in 2017-18, according to the latest economic survey.

The 2018-19 budget for the state is Rs 2.09 lakh crore ($31 billion), which is 12% more than the budget estimate of Rs 1.86 lakh crore for 2017-18. There has been an increase in the state’s revenue as well. Karnataka’s tax revenue for 2018-19, including goods and services tax (GT) compensation, is estimated to be Rs 1.03 lakh crore ($15 billion), an increase of 13% over the revised estimate for 2017-18.

The economic survey 2017-18 highlights Karnataka’s progress on the per capita income front too. With a per capita income of Rs 142,267 per annum, Karnataka’s citizens are India’s 10th richest, behind Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra, and Kerala in 2015-16 according to national accounts.

This prosperity, however, has not led to equal distribution of wealth, robust agriculture or good access to public health systems.

Karnataka election: Campaigning ends today; voter ID row continues; updates

With the Karnataka Assembly election 2018 just two days away, the BJP and Congress' high-voltage campaigning will come to an end on Thursday at 5 pm. Eyeing to sweep the crucial polls, the political parties will hold multiple rallies today in their last attempt to woo the voter. For the BJP, party president Amit Shah and the party's chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa will be campaigning in the state today, while Congress President Rahul Gandhi and incumbent Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will campaign for their party on the final day.

Apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress chief Gandhi, the Karnataka election campaign has also seen political heavyweights Sonia Gandhi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath campaign for their respective parties.

The last day of campaigning for the Karnataka polls comes after Prime Minister Modi and Congress chief Gandhi were face-to-face in the state on the second last day for the campaigning. Working seriously on his 'Congress Mukt Bharat' mission, Modi used all of his oratory skills to lambast the Congress in his four election rallies on Wednesday. On the other hand, Gandhi said in his Basavanagudi rally that the people of Karnataka would reject Prime Minister Modi and the BJP. The Congress president also attacked the Prime Minister for being silent on the issue of alleged Dalit atrocities.

Karnataka polls: Siddaramaiah's welfare schemes can decide Congress' fate

In its election rhetoric against the ruling Congress government in Karnataka, there is one thing that rival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rarely attacks–the state’s flagship welfare schemes, especially, Anna Bhagya which provides free rice and subsidised foodgrains for those living below poverty line (BPL).

Karnataka, the only southern state governed by the Congress party, is slated for assembly elections on May 12, 2018. And BJP chief ministerial candidate and state party president BS Yeddyurappa has said that his party would retain all the good welfare programmes initiated by the Congress government.

All he would do is change their names if he came to power, The Hindu reported on May 7, 2018. The BJP has also sought some credit for these schemes.

Karnataka election: Modi besotted with Congress-free India, says Sonia

Describing the electoral fight in Karnataka as one of 'clean versus dirty politics', the Congress today hit out at the BJP for fielding the "corrupt" as it launched an initiative for public funding of its candidates.

Seeking to bring transparency in electoral funding, the Congress through the "crowdfunding platform" has collected Rs 5.56 lakh through 213 donations, against its "goal of Rs 28 lakh collections" from the public.

For the first time ever, the party launched the online initiative claiming all contributions made will get income tax relief.

The Congress had earlier strongly opposed the electoral bonds initiative announced by the Modi government for electoral funding.

The party's initiative comes at a time when there is a big political debate on cleaning the political system and bringing in more transparency.

Karnataka polls: BJP fields most criminals, Congress the richest candidates

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is at the first spot and the Congress is at the second position in giving tickets to candidates with criminal background in the Karnataka Assembly Election 2018, says a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

The top three candidates with highest assets among all the candidates in fray belong to the ruling Congress -- Priyakrishna, from Govindarajanagar constituency with Rs 10.20 billion worth total assets, N Nagaraju from Hosakote Assembly seat with assets valued at Rs 10.15 billion and the state Energy Minister D K Shivakumar from Kanakapura segment with Rs 8.4 billion assets.
The ADR released the report after analysing the affidavits filed by 2,560 candidates, which said that 391 candidates declared criminal cases against themselves.

Of the total candidates, the watchdog could not analyse details of 95 candidates belonging to national, regional, local and fringe parties, as their affidavits were badly scanned or were incomplete on the websites of the poll panel and the Chief Electoral Officer of the southern state

BJP hits Rahul for visiting Karnataka temple after 'eating chicken'

Karnataka BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa on Monday hit out at Congress President Rahul Gandhi for reportedly visiting a temple after eating "Javari chicken" during his ongoing tour of northern parts of the poll-bound state.

"At one side there is 10 per cent CM Siddaramaiah who took darshan of Dharmasthala Manjunatha after eating fish, on the other side there is Election Hindu @OfficeOfRG (Rahul Gandhi) who took darshan of Narasimha swamy after eating Javari chicken," Yeddyurappa said in a tweet in Kannada.

"Why is Congress repeatedly hurting Hindu sentiments? Looking at every one equally is Samajawad (socialism), your's is majawad (enjoyment)," Yeddyurappa, the Chief ministerial candidate of BJP, said in the tweet with clippings of reports about Gandhi visiting the temple after 'eating' chicken.
Last year, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was involved in a controversy for eating fish at lunch before going to the Lord Manjunatha Swamy temple.