Voting for the 14 seats in northern Karnataka will be held on Tuesday, bringing an end to general elections in the state that sends 28 members to Lok Sabha.
Voting for the 14 seats in northern Karnataka will be held on Tuesday, bringing an end to general elections in the state that sends 28 members to Lok Sabha.(REUTERS) As many as 2.43 crore electorate will vote to pick 14 winners from among the 282 candidates in the fray. The south Karnataka region comprising another 14 seats went to the polls on April 18.
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Among key contestants for Tuesday’s elections is Congress heavyweight Mallikarjun Kharge, who has represented the Gulbarga [Kalaburagi] seat — reserved for scheduled caste candidates — since 2009.
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However, this time he is pitted against Congress rebel Umesh Jadhav, who has the backing of some former party leaders.
Also in the fray are Union minister Ramesh Jigjinagi, who is contesting from the Bijapur (SC) constituency against Sunitha Chavan, and Ananth Kumar Hegde, contesting from the Uttara Kannada district against Anand Asnotikar of the Janata Dal (Secular).
State Congress working president Eshwar Khandre is hoping to wrest the Bidar seat from Bharatiya Janata Party’s Bhagwant Khuba.
Popularity of Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi remains a key factor in this election as well. In 2014, the BJP had won 10 of the 14 seats that will go to the polls on Tuesday.
Constituency Sitting MP Assam Dhubri Badruddin Ajmal, AIUDF Kokrajhar Naba Kumar Sarania, IND Barpeta Sirajuddin Ajmal, AIUDF Gauhati Bijoya Chakravarty, BJP Bihar Jhanjharpur Birendra Kumar Choudhary, BJP Supaul Ranjeet Ranjan, Congress Araria Sarfaraz Alam, RJD Madhepura Pappu Yadav, RJD Khagaria Mehboob Ali Kaiser, LJP Chhattisgarh Surguja Kamalbhan Singh Marabi, BJP Raigarh Vishnu Deo Sai, BJP Janjgir-Champa Kamla Patle, BJP Korba Banshilal Mahto, BJP Bilaspur Lakhan Lal Sahu, BJP Durg Tamradhwaj Sahu, Congress Raipur Ramesh Bais, BJP Goa North Goa Shripad Yesso Naik, Bharatiya Janata Party South Goa Narendra Keshav Sawaikar, BJP Gujarat Kachchh Vinod Lakhamashi Chavda, BJP Banaskantha Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary, BJP Patan Liladharbhai Vaghela, BJP Mahesana Jayshreeben Kanubha Patel, BJP Sabarkantha Dipsinh Shankarsinh Rathod, BJP Gandhinagar LK Advani, BJP Ahmedabad East Paresh Rawal, BJP Ahmedabad West Kirit Premjibhai Solanki, BJP Surendranagar Devjibhai Govindbhai Fatepara, BJP Rajkot Mohanbhai Kundariya, BJP Porbandar Vitthalbhai Hansrajbhai Radadiya, BJP Jamnagar Poonamben Hematbhai Maadam, BJP Junagadh Chudasama Rajeshbhai Naranbhai, BJP Amreli Naranbhai Bhikhabhai Kachhadiya, BJP Bhavnagar Dr Bharatiben Dhirubhai Shiyal, BJP Anand Dilip M Patel, BJP Kheda Devusinh Chauhan, BJP Panchmahal Prabhatsinh Pratapsinh Chauhan, BJP Dahod Jaswantsinh Sumanbhai Bhabhor, BJP Vadodara Ranjanben Dhananjay Bhatt , BJP (won bypoll) Chhota Udaipur Ramsinh Rathwa, BJP Bharuch Mansukhbhai Dhanjibhai Vasava, BJP Bardoli Prabhubhai Nagarbhai Vasava, BJP Surat Darshana Vikram Jardosh, BJP Navsari CR Patil, BJP Valsad KC Patel, BJP Jammu and Kashmir Anantnag Vacant Karnataka Chikkodi Prakash Hukkeri, Congress Belgaum Angadi Suresh Channabasappa, BJP Bagalkot Gaddigoudar Parvatagouda Chandanagouda, BJP Bijapur Ramesh Jigajinagi, BJP Gulbarga Mallikarjun Kharge, Congressha Raichur BV Nayak, Congress Bidar Bhagwanth Kuba, BJP Koppal Karadi Sanganna Amarappa, BJP Bellary B. Sreeramulu, BJP Haveri Udasi Shivakumar Channabasappai, BJP Dharwad Pralhad Joshi, BJP Uttara Kannada Ananthkumar Hegde, BJP Davanagere Shimoga BS Yeddyurappa, BJP
Constituency Sitting MP Kerala Kasaragod P Karunakaran, CPI(M) Kannur PK Srieemathi, CPI(M) Vadakara Mullappally Ramachandran, INC Wayanad Kozhikode Vacant after sitting MP MI Shavas of Congress died in 2016 Malappuram E. Ahamed, IUML Ponnani ET Mohammed Basheer, IUML Palakkad MB Rajesh, CPI(M) Alathur P.K.Biju, CPI(M) Thrissur C. N. Jayadevan, CPI Chalakudy Innocent, Independent Ernakulam KV Thomas, Congress Idukki dv. Joice George, Independent Kottayam Jose K. Mani, Kerala Congress (M) Alappuzha KC Venugopal, Congress Mavelikkara Kodikunnil Suresh, Congress Pathanamthitta Anto Antony, Congress Kollam NK Premachandran, RSP Attingal A Sampath, CPI(M) Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor, Congress Maharashtra Jalgaon A.T. Nana Patil, BJP Raver Khadase Raksha Nikhil, BJP Jalna Danve Raosaheb Dadarao, BJP Aurangabad Sushil Kumar Singh, BJP Raigad Anant Geete, Shiv Sena Pune Anil Shirole, BJP Baramati Supriya Sule, NCP Ahmednagar Gandhi Dilipkumar Mansukhlal, BJP Madha ohite Patil Vijaysinh Shankarrao, Nationalist Congress Party Sangli Sanjaykaka Patil, BJP Satara Udayanraje Pratapsinha Bhonsale, NCP Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg Vinayak Bhaurao Raut, Shiv Sena Kolhapur Dhananjay Bhimrao Mahadik, NCP Hatkanangle Raju Shetty, Swabhimani Paksha Odisha Sambalpur Nagendra Kumar Pradhan, BJD Keonjhar Sakuntala Laguri, BJD Dhenkanal Tathagata Satpathy, BJD Cuttack Bhartuhari Mahatab, BJD Puri Pinaki Misra, BJD Bhubaneswar Prasanna Kumar Patasani, BJD Uttar Pradesh Moradabad Kunwar Sarvesh Kumar, BJP Rampur Nepal Singh, BJP Sambhal Satyapal Singh, BJP Firozabad Akshay Yadav, SP Mainpuri Tej Pratap Singh Yadav, SP Etah Rajveer Singh, BJP Badaun Dharmendra Yadav, SP Aonla Dharmendra Kumar, BJP Bareilly Santosh Kumar Gangwar, BJP Pilibhit Maneka Gandhi, BJP West Bengal Balurghat Arpita Ghosh, Trinamool Congress Maldaha Uttar Mausam Noor, Congress Maldaha Dakshin Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury, Congress Jangipur Abhijit Mukherjee, Congress Murshidabad Badaruddoza Khan, CPI(M) Dadra and Nagar Haveli Dadra and Nagar Haveli Natubhai Gomanbhai Patel, BJP Daman and Diu Daman and Diu Lalubhai Patel, BJP Tripura East Tripura Jitendra Choudhury, CPI(M)
Just days before the polling, the Lingayat issue which seemed to have died down was revived by the BJP to target the Congress for allegedly hatching a conspiracy to divide society. The community which dominates northern Karnataka has been demanding a separate religion status for Lingayat.
The Congress, on the other hand, focused its campaign on the fact that the BJP had picked only dominant caste candidates, except for the four reserved seats. Of the 10 candidates of the BJP in the region, eight belong to the Lingayat sect and two are Brahmins, a fact that was repeatedly highlighted by former chief minister Siddaramaiah, who attempted to consolidate the AHINDA (Kannada acronym for backward classes, minority communities and Dalits) voters.
Political analyst Narendra Pani, who teaches at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru, said the Congress strategy was clearly oriented towards consolidating the votes of one section of Lingayats with the AHINDA grouping. “The BJP’s move to bring it up is interesting in this light,” he said, adding, “It is unclear how much of a factor the Prime Minister’s popularity is especially because the BJP is banking so much on it.”
Constituency Sitting MP Assam Dhubri Badruddin Ajmal, AIUDF Kokrajhar Naba Kumar Sarania, IND Barpeta Sirajuddin Ajmal, AIUDF Gauhati Bijoya Chakravarty, BJP Bihar Jhanjharpur Birendra Kumar Choudhary, BJP Supaul Ranjeet Ranjan, Congress Araria Sarfaraz Alam, RJD Madhepura Pappu Yadav, RJD Khagaria Mehboob Ali Kaiser, LJP Chhattisgarh Surguja Kamalbhan Singh Marabi, BJP Raigarh Vishnu Deo Sai, BJP Janjgir-Champa Kamla Patle, BJP Korba Banshilal Mahto, BJP Bilaspur Lakhan Lal Sahu, BJP Durg Tamradhwaj Sahu, Congress Raipur Ramesh Bais, BJP Goa North Goa Shripad Yesso Naik, Bharatiya Janata Party South Goa Narendra Keshav Sawaikar, BJP Gujarat Kachchh Vinod Lakhamashi Chavda, BJP Banaskantha Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary, BJP Patan Liladharbhai Vaghela, BJP Mahesana Jayshreeben Kanubha Patel, BJP Sabarkantha Dipsinh Shankarsinh Rathod, BJP Gandhinagar LK Advani, BJP Ahmedabad East Paresh Rawal, BJP Ahmedabad West Kirit Premjibhai Solanki, BJP Surendranagar Devjibhai Govindbhai Fatepara, BJP Rajkot Mohanbhai Kundariya, BJP Porbandar Vitthalbhai Hansrajbhai Radadiya, BJP Jamnagar Poonamben Hematbhai Maadam, BJP Junagadh Chudasama Rajeshbhai Naranbhai, BJP Amreli Naranbhai Bhikhabhai Kachhadiya, BJP Bhavnagar Dr Bharatiben Dhirubhai Shiyal, BJP Anand Dilip M Patel, BJP Kheda Devusinh Chauhan, BJP Panchmahal Prabhatsinh Pratapsinh Chauhan, BJP Dahod Jaswantsinh Sumanbhai Bhabhor, BJP Vadodara Ranjanben Dhananjay Bhatt , BJP (won bypoll) Chhota Udaipur Ramsinh Rathwa, BJP Bharuch Mansukhbhai Dhanjibhai Vasava, BJP Bardoli Prabhubhai Nagarbhai Vasava, BJP Surat Darshana Vikram Jardosh, BJP Navsari CR Patil, BJP Valsad KC Patel, BJP Jammu and Kashmir Anantnag Vacant Karnataka Chikkodi Prakash Hukkeri, Congress Belgaum Angadi Suresh Channabasappa, BJP Bagalkot Gaddigoudar Parvatagouda Chandanagouda, BJP Bijapur Ramesh Jigajinagi, BJP Gulbarga Mallikarjun Kharge, Congressha Raichur BV Nayak, Congress Bidar Bhagwanth Kuba, BJP Koppal Karadi Sanganna Amarappa, BJP Bellary B. Sreeramulu, BJP Haveri Udasi Shivakumar Channabasappai, BJP Dharwad Pralhad Joshi, BJP Uttara Kannada Ananthkumar Hegde, BJP Davanagere Shimoga BS Yeddyurappa, BJP
Constituency Sitting MP Kerala Kasaragod P Karunakaran, CPI(M) Kannur PK Srieemathi, CPI(M) Vadakara Mullappally Ramachandran, INC Wayanad Kozhikode Vacant after sitting MP MI Shavas of Congress died in 2016 Malappuram E. Ahamed, IUML Ponnani ET Mohammed Basheer, IUML Palakkad MB Rajesh, CPI(M) Alathur P.K.Biju, CPI(M) Thrissur C. N. Jayadevan, CPI Chalakudy Innocent, Independent Ernakulam KV Thomas, Congress Idukki dv. Joice George, Independent Kottayam Jose K. Mani, Kerala Congress (M) Alappuzha KC Venugopal, Congress Mavelikkara Kodikunnil Suresh, Congress Pathanamthitta Anto Antony, Congress Kollam NK Premachandran, RSP Attingal A Sampath, CPI(M) Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor, Congress Maharashtra Jalgaon A.T. Nana Patil, BJP Raver Khadase Raksha Nikhil, BJP Jalna Danve Raosaheb Dadarao, BJP Aurangabad Sushil Kumar Singh, BJP Raigad Anant Geete, Shiv Sena Pune Anil Shirole, BJP Baramati Supriya Sule, NCP Ahmednagar Gandhi Dilipkumar Mansukhlal, BJP Madha ohite Patil Vijaysinh Shankarrao, Nationalist Congress Party Sangli Sanjaykaka Patil, BJP Satara Udayanraje Pratapsinha Bhonsale, NCP Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg Vinayak Bhaurao Raut, Shiv Sena Kolhapur Dhananjay Bhimrao Mahadik, NCP Hatkanangle Raju Shetty, Swabhimani Paksha Odisha Sambalpur Nagendra Kumar Pradhan, BJD Keonjhar Sakuntala Laguri, BJD Dhenkanal Tathagata Satpathy, BJD Cuttack Bhartuhari Mahatab, BJD Puri Pinaki Misra, BJD Bhubaneswar Prasanna Kumar Patasani, BJD Uttar Pradesh Moradabad Kunwar Sarvesh Kumar, BJP Rampur Nepal Singh, BJP Sambhal Satyapal Singh, BJP Firozabad Akshay Yadav, SP Mainpuri Tej Pratap Singh Yadav, SP Etah Rajveer Singh, BJP Badaun Dharmendra Yadav, SP Aonla Dharmendra Kumar, BJP Bareilly Santosh Kumar Gangwar, BJP Pilibhit Maneka Gandhi, BJP West Bengal Balurghat Arpita Ghosh, Trinamool Congress Maldaha Uttar Mausam Noor, Congress Maldaha Dakshin Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury, Congress Jangipur Abhijit Mukherjee, Congress Murshidabad Badaruddoza Khan, CPI(M) Dadra and Nagar Haveli Dadra and Nagar Haveli Natubhai Gomanbhai Patel, BJP Daman and Diu Daman and Diu Lalubhai Patel, BJP Tripura East Tripura Jitendra Choudhury, CPI(M)