Election Commission of India has done Cited apathy of urban voters and influence of money as major challenges in conducting a fair and robust election process in Karnataka while announcing the schedule for assembly elections in the state. Voting will be held on May 10 and the results will be declared on May 13. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wants to retain the only southern state where it has ever won power. In 2018, a coalition of the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) formed the government, which fell after defections, paving the way for a move forward. BJP under the leadership of BS Yeddyurappa, that was later in place of Basavaraj Bommai, as the BJP wanted to renegotiate the terms of its association with the powerful Lingayat community to which both belong. The power of belief remains with Mr Yediyurappa, and the BJP’s central leadership is now trying to pacify him, lest he ruin the pitch for the party’s re-election bid. Politics in the state has traditionally been driven by the two dominant castes, Lingayat and Vokkaliga, and there is a subtext of linguistic sub-nationalism that occasionally comes to the fore. The BJP’s attempt to change the social dynamics of the states has been to create a Hindu identity politics that overwhelms caste identities and is hostile to religious minorities. Through propaganda and policy, the party has taken forward Hindutva in the state and this election will be the test of its success.
mix of deeply divisive campaigns around wear hijab in schoolsinterfaith romance, religious conversion and twisting of history to paint anti-British tipu sultan The BJP has achieved a strong position as an anti-Hindu autocrat, but it has also created new tensions that could be counterproductive for the party. The rise of Islamist politics gives additional weapons to BJP politics in the state. Congress has strong ground game In Karnataka, as well as local leaders who have the ability and will to mount a spirited challenge to the BJP. The Karnataka election results will have ripples across the country, given that two national parties, the BJP and the Congress, are locked in a face-off. The BJP hopes to neutralize the political dominance of the Janata Dal (S) and the two major caste groups. The Congress, on the other hand, has not yet demonstrated that it will leave no stone unturned to win this crucial battle. Considering the high stakes, the potential for a toxic campaign season is real. The Election Commission of India is required to keep the campaign civilized and in compliance with the model code of conduct.