The elections for the 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka will be held in the second and third phases of polling scheduled on April 26 and May 7, the Election Commission announced on Saturday.
Of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state, Bengaluru has four — Bangalore Rural, Bangalore North, Bangalore Central and Bangalore South — all of which will vote on April 26 and the results will be declared on June 4.
WHAT HAPPENED IN 2019?
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had a sweeping victory over the ruling Congress-JDS alliance, bagging 25 of the total 28 Lok Sabha seats, leaving the one-year-old Kumaraswamy government in a tizzy over its stability. The BJP also made inroads into the South Karnataka belt, known as the old Mysuru region.
Three of the four Bengaluru seats went to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and one to the Congress in 2019. Congress’s DK Suresh won the Bangalore Rural. DV Sadananda Gowda won from Bangalore North, PC Mohan Bangalore Central and Tejasvi Surya Bangalore South.
THE 2024 LOK SABHA POLLS
The scenario has changed significantly. The Congress scored a thumping victory in the Assembly elections in May last year and now appears battle-ready, determined to put up a strong show in the Lok Sabha polls. It is also a role reversal of sorts for JD(S) which joined the BJP-led NDA in September last year and wants to prove that it’s still a force to reckon with, particularly in South Karnataka. The coming poll is also seen as a “litmus test" for state BJP President B Y Vijayendra, who has the onerous task of leading the party to retain its supremacy in the Lok Sabha elections.
In its list, the BJP has retained sitting MPs Surya and Mohan from Bangalore South and Bangalore Central, respectively. Meanwhile, Shobha Karandlaje, the MP from Udupi-Chikmagalur, has been given the Bengaluru North ticket, replacing Gowda. Gowda has announced his retirement from electoral politics. The BJP has given the Bangalore Rural ticket to Dr. C.N Manjunath, the son-in-law of former PM Devegowda. He was in the JDS, but moved to the BJP. He will not fight the poll battle against Karnataka deputy CM DK Shivakumar’s brother DK Suresh, the Congress’s sitting MP from Bangalore Rural.
The Congress is yet to announce the candidates, with names of Ramalinga Reddy, BZ Zameer Khan, Krishna Byre Gowda and Priya Krishna doing the rounds, according to reports. The Congress, which won 135 out of the total 224 seats in the Assembly elections, is keen to field some Ministers but they are shying away, admitted a senior ruling party leader.
Comments
0 comment