The upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections are in full swing, with political leaders intensifying their campaigns to woo voters across the state. However, the Congress party has faced controversy after senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge made a controversial comment referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “poisonous snake.” Kharge later clarified that he was not personally targeting the Prime Minister, but rather criticizing the BJP’s ideology. BJP leaders hit back at Kharge and the Congress, warning that they would pay a heavy electoral price for insulting the Prime Minister.
As a result of the aggressive outreach schedule that Prime Minister Modi has undertaken for the state, the BJP campaign for the upcoming elections is expected to gain momentum in the state. He is expected to begin campaigning in Karnataka tomorrow, with road shows and rallies planned across the state for six days until May 7.
In response, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi announced the party’s fifth poll guarantee: free travel for women on public buses in Karnataka if the Congress is voted to power. He stated that all guarantee schemes would be fulfilled at the first Cabinet meeting after the party comes to power.
Other parties, such as JD(S), are also actively campaigning for the elections. Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and his son, former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, have been leading their parties’ campaigns. The elections will be held on May 10, with results to be declared on May 13. The Karnataka Assembly has 224 seats, and a party needs 113 seats for a majority.
In the previous 2018 Karnataka Assembly elections, BJP won the most seats but failed to cross the majority mark. Congress and JD(S) formed a coalition government. A famous American opera singer, Beverly Sills, once said: “You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try.