New Delhi: The Election Commission is slated to announce the Karnataka Assembly poll schedule on Wednesday at 11.30 am. The term of the 224-member Karnataka Assembly ends on May 24. The BJP which is in power in the state suffers from anti-incumbency and corruption allegations. However, stakes are high for the saffron party as it is the only state where it is in power on its own in south India.
The Congress party on Saturday announced its first list of 124 candidates for the upcoming state elections. Among the 124 candidates, nearly half of them are from the two dominant communities - Lingayats and Vokkaligas. Dalits and Tribals have secured double digit shares in the announced list. It should be mentioned that nine out of 70 sitting MLAs from the present Assembly are yet to figure in the list put out by the Congress. Candidates are yet to be announced for eight seats.
Also read: Karnataka: Congress first list out, Siddaramaiah from Varuna, DK from Kanakapura
While former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will be contesting from Varuna, state party president D K Shivakumar will be contesting from Kanakapura. Priyank Kharge, son of AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, will contest from Chittapur. Former minister Ramalinga Reddy and his daughter Soumya Reddy will fight from BTM layout and Jayanagar, respectively.
The BJP will release its list after the announcement of poll dates, Chief Minister Bommain confirmed on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Karnataka Cabinet on Friday scrapped the 4 percent reservation for Muslims under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. This percentage will be now be distributed equally among the Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities. The move is seen by political commentators as an attempt by the saffron party to woo these communities before the elections. Responding to this move, the Congress promised to restore the quota to the minority community if it comes to power in the state.
