BENGALURU: Amid apprehension of the Covid-19 third wave, Karnataka will elect 25 MLCs from 20 electoral constituencies on Friday, setting in motion a poll that is being touted as a trendsetter for the 2023 Assembly elections. The results of these polls are crucial for the three major political parties, especially the BJP, which has to achieve a majority in the 75-member Upper House by winning at least 13 seats, the Congress has 14 seats to defend and the JDS four.
The national parties have fielded 20 candidates each, whereas Janata Dal (Secular) candidates are in the fray in six seats of the Old Mysuru region. It is also a litmus test for Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and KPCC president D K Shivakumar, as they face elections of this magnitude for the first time while at the helm in their respective parties.
The campaign has seen a virtual maelstrom of allegations and counter-allegations about candidates, with the BJP targeting Bengaluru Urban Congress candidate Yousuf Sharif even on the eve of the election, with allegations of grabbing government properties. Inducements to the electorate, and distribution of huge amounts of cash also came to the fore in some constituencies where a stiff contest is on the cards.
In Vijayapura, a video of Independent candidate Mallikarjuna Lone went viral. In Chikkaballapura, a video of BJP supporters getting oaths administered before a deity’s picture, committing electors to vote for their candidate, has also created ripples. The dual seat of Dharwad witnessed no aggression as national parties have fielded one candidate each, which means a sure-shot victory for Pradeep Shettar of BJP, brother of former chief minister Jagadish Shettar, and KPCC working president Saleem Ahmed.
Huge exercise
As many as 23,065 polling staff involved in the rigorous exercise of preferential voting, have been vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, the State Election Commission has claimed. While the authorities claimed that most of the 99,000-plus electorate is vaccinated, they will need to present documents to ensure their entry into polling stations. Over 6,000 stations have been set up across the state. It may be noted here that more than 50 polling staff from the education department had reportedly died during the bypolls to Basavakalyan and Maski seats in May 2021 due to the virus.