The Aryavarth Express
Agency (Karnataka): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress are set for a renewed contest in Karnataka’s 14 Lok Sabha seats in the second phase of elections, scheduled for Tuesday. The stage is prepared for the political rivals to battle over key constituencies, particularly in the northern districts, where the JD(S) is not contesting, opting instead to back its NDA ally, the BJP.
Karnataka, with its 28 Lok Sabha constituencies, held its first phase of voting in 14 southern and coastal constituencies on April 26. The upcoming phase will feature 227 candidates across 28,269 polling stations and will be held from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eligible voters in the constituencies include over 2.59 crore people.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP dominated the 14 constituencies now up for grabs, while Congress and JD(S) allied to form the ruling government. Congress, emboldened by its sweeping victory in the recent assembly elections, is determined to secure a strong result in this second phase. The competition will cover constituencies like Chikkodi, Belgaum, Bagalkot, Bijapur, Gulbarga, Raichur, Bidar, Koppal, Bellary, Haveri, Dharwad, Uttara Kannada, Davangere, and Shimoga.
For the election, Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Meena has ensured robust security measures, with 1.45 lakh polling officials, 35,000 police officers, and 65 paramilitary companies deployed across the 14 constituencies. Additionally, 4,000 micro-observers and webcasting at 17,000 polling stations will oversee the process.
Key candidates in the race include former Chief Ministers Basavaraj Bommai (Haveri) and Jagadish Shettar (Belgaum), along with Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi (Dharwad) and Bhagwanth Khuba (Bidar), representing the BJP. Congress will field prominent names like Geetha Shivrajkumar (Shimoga) and Radhakrishna Doddamani (Gulbarga), the son-in-law of Mallikarjun Kharge. Also in contention are B.S. Yediyurappa’s son B.Y. Raghavendra, former Deputy CM K.S. Eshwarappa, and other notable political figures.
The Congress is particularly focused on reversing its past performance in the Lingayat-dominated districts, which are pivotal in this election. D.K. Shivakumar, the Congress state chief, sees this election as a key opportunity to prove his leadership potential, while Chief Minister Siddaramaiah aims to cement his position further.
For BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra, retaining the Lingayat vote and securing a BJP sweep are paramount. He seeks to bolster his leadership amid challenges from critics and prove his effectiveness in steering the party.
Congress is leaning on its five populist “guarantee” schemes for voter appeal, while the BJP hopes to capitalize on the “Modi factor” to retain its dominance.
