Karnataka: Final Electoral Battle Begins
Vasanth N K
FOLLOWING the scrutiny of all applications and the deadline for the withdrawal of nominations on April 24, the picture of the contest is now clear. The battle lines have been drawn for the upcoming election, which is likely to have significant political implications not just for the state, but for the entire country. With only two weeks remaining until election day, the final electoral battle has begun with full vigour.
In Puttur, located in the coastal Dakshina Kannada district, the main contest is between the BJP and Hindutva! There has been a significant outcry against the BJP candidate, not due to any allegations of corruption, criminal activity or incompetence, but rather due to a perceived lack of attention towards the "youth who have sacrificed everything for the Hindutva cause" and who were not considered for the party's ticket. As a result, a representative of the militant Hindutva cadre is running as a rebel candidate. The Congress candidate is a long-time activist of the BJP who recently defected to Congress. Meanwhile, the SDPI candidate is an accused in the infamous murder of Pravin Nettaru in this constituency. It is worth noting that the state president of the BJP, who is well-known for saying that "roads and infrastructure are not important issues, but love jihad is," also hails from this area.
In Kalburgi city, the Congress candidate Prinyank Kharge is facing a BJP candidate who is a rowdy sheeter and faces 40 criminal cases, including murder, dealing in narcotics, and smuggling PDS rice, in both this constituency and neighbouring states. Prime Minister Modi began the second round of campaigning in this constituency. Another Congress candidate, Vinay Kulkarni, sought intervention from the High Court to grant him bail so that he could enter Dharawad district and campaign in his constituency, but was unsuccessful. Meanwhile, V Somanna, who is facing a tough battle against Siddaramaiah in Varuna, has been in the news for the wrong reasons. An audio recording of him offering "incentives" to the JD(S) candidate if he withdrew from the contest has gone viral. Somanna and BJP MP Prathap Simha were chased away by locals in several localities while on the campaign trail.
FINAL PICTURE
OF THE CONTEST
A total of 2399 candidates are contesting the 224 seats in the upcoming election, out of which only 184 are women. The BJP is fielding candidates in all 224 seats, while the Congress is contesting 223 seats and supporting Sarvodaya candidate Darshan Puttnnaiah in one seat. Meanwhile, the JD(S) is running for 207 seats.
There are 18 rebel Congress candidates, 14 rebel BJP candidates, and 2 rebel JD(S) candidates in the fray. Furthermore, almost 30 candidates have switched parties, with half of them coming from the BJP.
The Congress has given tickets to 11 women, while the BJP has given tickets to 12 women, which amounts to only 5 per cent of the candidates. The JD(S) has also given tickets to 11 women. In terms of representation for religious minorities, the Congress has given tickets to 14 seats, out of which 11 are for Muslim candidates and 3 are for Christians, including one woman. Interestingly, the Congress has fielded a Muslim candidate against CM Bommai. On the other hand, the BJP as expected, has not given tickets to any minorities and its candidates are all Hindus. Meanwhile, the JD(S) has given 18 tickets to Muslim candidates, including one woman.
Among the Left parties, the CPI(M) is contesting 4 seats, the CPI is contesting 7 seats, CPI-ML(Liberation) is contesting 2 seats, and SUCI(C) is contesting 14 seats. The CPI(M) is facing a 'friendly contest' from the CPI in KGF(SC), from CPI-ML(L) in KR Puram, and from SUCI(C) in Kalburgi Rural(SC) constituencies. The JD(S) has declared its support for CPI(M) candidates in 3 constituencies, except for KGF(SC). However, while JD(S) is not contesting in Bagepalli, it has not formally withdrawn its candidates in the other two constituencies. In Bagepalli, the JD(S) is campaigning for the CPI(M) candidate.
The RPI (Prakash Ambedkar Group) is contesting 7 seats, and Sarvodaya is contesting 14 seats. Among other parties, the AAP is fighting in 209 seats, BSP in 133 seats, SDPI in 16 seats, KRPP in 49 seats, NCP in 9 seats, JD(U) in 8 seats, MES in 4 seats, AIMIM in 2 seats, and KRS in 200 seats.
MONEY POWER
Candidates have provided information about their assets and income while filing nominations. It is already known that on an average, Karnataka MLAs are the richest in the country at Rs 34.50 crores. If the affidavits submitted by the candidates are any indication, it is likely that Karnataka MLAs retain this position at a higher level. The affidavits reveal that the assets of most MLAs have increased substantially, with quite a few doubling and even increasing manifold. Several new candidates also have assets of more than Rs 50 crores, making them more likely to be elected than others. The richest candidate is MTB Nagaraj, the Hoskote BJP candidate, with declared assets of a whopping Rs 1,615 crores, an increase of Rs 600 crores from what was declared in 2018. He is one of the "beneficiaries" of Operation Kamala - 2019. The declared assets of DK Shiva Kumar, the Congress candidate from Kanakapura and a CM aspirant, have increased by 62 per cent to Rs 1,358 crores. Munirathna Naidu, the BJP candidate for Rajarajeshwari, has declared assets of Rs 293 crores, an increase of five times from Rs 43 crores. The next two highest are H D Kumaraswamy, the JD(S) candidate from Channapatna and a former CM, with Rs 181 crores, and B V Vijayendra, the BJP candidate from Shikaripura, with Rs 126 crores. Hence, out of the five richest candidates, three are from BJP, one from Congress, and one from JD(S).
The influence of money and fraudulent activities in the electoral race has been increasing significantly in Karnataka. This is evident from the value of seizures made by the Election Commission during the current elections, which has exceeded Rs 240 crores. This includes cash worth Rs 80 crores, liquor worth Rs 48 crores, gold and silver worth Rs 78 crores, freebies/goods worth Rs 19 crores, and narcotics worth Rs 16 crores. The total value of seizures this year is more than double of that made during the last election. Before the election process even began, seizures worth Rs 58 crores were already made. As of now, 1873 FIRs have been registered for electoral frauds, but it is evident that the action taken is only addressing the tip of the iceberg.
NO MANIFESTOS
ONLY PROMISES/GUARANTEES
Most political parties have stopped giving importance to and publicizing detailed election manifestos expressing their policies and programs. If at all a manifesto is made, it is only for record purposes. Instead, a set of promises is mostly made disjointedly in advertisements or posters in media or social media, and impromptu announcements in public meetings serve as a manifesto.
The Congress is focusing on four "guarantees" - Rs 2000 for women, 200 units of free electricity, 10 Kg of free rice, and Rs 3000 for unemployed graduates. They have also released a 10-point development programmes for the coastal area. The BJP is announcing several sector-wise programmes, mostly in the format of government ads. The JD(S) 12-point manifesto has laid emphasis on women's empowerment and the development of farmers. They have promised to waive loans taken by Stree Shakti groups, provide five free LPG cylinders per year, give a Rs 6,000 allowance for pregnant women for six months, hike the widow pension from Rs 900 to Rs 2,500. The party has also proposed to provide a Rs 10,000 subsidy per acre to farmers; a Rs 2,000 monthly allowance for farm labourers; and a Rs 2 lakh subsidy for women who marry youths who have taken up agriculture. They have promised to exert pressure on the central government to conduct exams in Kannada for various civil services and defence recruitments. The party has also promised that, if voted to power, they would bring legislation to provide reservations for Kannadigas in the private sector.
The CPI(M) has released its manifesto, which calls for the defeat of the BJP and electing CPI(M) candidates to represent the toiling people in the Assembly, and the strengthening of secular forces. The manifesto provides an overview of the anti-people policies, and misdeeds of the BJP government, as well as the CPI(M)'s intervention against them. The CPI(M) has promised to fight for and implement specific measures, including food security and against price rises, against corruption, protecting agriculture, peasants and agricultural labour, supporting labour, industry and the urban poor, ensuring access to Bagairhukum/residential plots, and for developing education, health and culture, and ensuring social justice.
With election campaigns often centring around caste, religion, money power, muscle power, mutt power, gifts, liquor, bribing, roadshows, and rallies with rented crowds, many class/mass organisations, people's movements, and groups of intellectuals/social activists have resorted to issuing "people's manifestos" on various relevant issues to educate the public. The CITU has released a 20-page "Workers Manifesto" and appealed to workers to defeat the anti-worker BJP government, taking this manifesto to the masses of workers. The workers' demands and aspirations in the manifesto are also addressed to all political parties. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha and a network of farmers' organisations in the state, including KPRS (the state unit of AIKS), met and released a 15-point "Peasants Manifesto" addressed to all political parties and aimed at educating farmers and all citizens. The JMS (the state unit of AIDWA) held a consultation with all women's organisations and issued a "Women's Manifesto," which has been sent to all political parties and is being taken to women all over the state.
While Left class/mass organisations have been engaging in this practice in earlier elections, the initiative taken by some people's movements and groups of intellectuals/social activists to prepare innovative material and campaign on pro-people demands is a new development in this election. The Civic Forum, "Eddelu Karnataka" (Rise up Karnataka), "Bahutva Karnataka," and "Samana Manaskaru" have taken up this work.
CAMPAIGN ISSUES
Public meetings, rallies, and roadshows by star campaigners for the three major parties have started and gained momentum. PM Modi, Amit Shah, JP Nadda, Yogi Adityanath, BS Yediyurappa, and Basavaraj Bommai are campaigning for the BJP, while Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Mallikarjun Kharge, Siddaramaiah, and DK Shivakumar are campaigning for the Congress. Devegowda and HD Kumaraswamy are campaigning for the JD(S).
Congress campaigners are mostly focusing on the non-performance and misdeeds of the BJP government and their own guarantees. They are mocking the "double engine failure" and frequently attacking the ad-hoc and erratic changes in the reservation system. Although they are generally silent about communalism, they are selectively attacking some issues, such as the cancellation of Muslim reservation, and questioning why the BJP government did not give its reasoning in the Supreme Court. Issues such as the Nandini-Amul merger, merger of Karnataka-based banks, and closure of VISL are being raised more frequently as an attack on regional pride or identity/autonomy. JP Nadda's statement that "Modi's blessings are required for the development of Karnataka" was heavily criticised and trolled and was seen as an affront to regional pride. Initially, the campaign focused on the "insult/sidestepping of Lingayats in BJP," but when the BJP posed a challenge to name a Lingayat CM, it was not pressed much. So far, the Congress has avoided direct criticism of the JD(S).
BJP continues to harp on the advantages of having a "double engine" government and claims to have fulfilled its promises while making several new promises, most of which are recycled from the past. It continues to accuse Congress of being anti-Hindu and dividing Hindus based on caste, and for appeasement of Muslims as vote-bank. It defends its decision to cancel the reservation of Muslims. BJP responds to attacks on regional pride by claiming to support "cooperative federalism." Unlike the 2018 campaign, BJP is avoiding strident communal campaigns even in coastal areas, but some leaders like Easwarappa ("We don't need Muslim votes"), Annamalai ("Communal riots if Congress comes to power"), and CT Ravi sporadically engage in hate speech. BJP tried to counter Congress' charges of "insulting/side-lining Lingayat leaders" by challenging Congress to promise a Lingayat CM, but it withdrew the challenge after Amit Shah disapproved of it. BJP has attacked JD(S) by saying, "Voting for JD(S) is the same as voting for Congress."
JD(S) mainly highlights regional pride and attacks all "national parties," arguing that defending against attacks on regional identity/autonomy and defending the water/land of Karnataka is not possible by them.
Karnataka Assembly elections 2023 List of CPI(M) candidates
Sl | Constituency | District | Candidate |
1. | Bagepalli | Chikkaballapur | Dr. Anil Kumar
|
2. | KGF | Kolar | P Thangaraj
|
3. | Kalburgi Rural | Kalburgi | Pandurang Mavinkara
|
4. | K R Puram | Bangalore North | Nanje Gowda
|
