oppn parties Karnataka Elections: No-Holds-Barred Contest

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  • Neha Bora was subsequently released and Dipke is to appear before a magistrate today at noon
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  • The Reserve Bank of India is considering further monetary tightening to counter capital outflows and increase the cost of betting against the rupee, according to bankers and analysts cited by Reuters. The measures follow recent rate increases and steps to drain liquidity as pressure on the currency and inflation concerns persist
  • India directed oil marketing companies to stop diverting sugar-based feedstocks for ethanol production in the 2026–27 supply year, according to a new tender issued on Friday. The companies have invited bids for 11 billion litres of ethanol made from alternatives including corn and broken rice, amid concerns about domestic sugar supplies and prices
  • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India's trade imbalance with China was growing sharply and attributed the problem partly to restrictions on Indian goods and services entering the Chinese market. China subsequently said it was ready to work with India to address mutual economic and trade concerns; India's trade deficit with China reached $69 billion in the first half of FY2026–27, up 27% year-on-year
  • Indian equity benchmarks extended their recovery on Friday, with the Sensex rising 413.66 points to close at 74,729.27 and the Nifty 50 gaining 148.80 points to settle at 23,146.15. Information technology shares, including Tech Mahindra, Infosys and TCS, helped lift the indices
  • India defeated Zimbabwe by four wickets in the opening women's T20 International in Raipur, taking a 1–0 lead in the three-match series. Deepti Sharma and Niki Prasad combined in an 82-run stand after India's top order collapsed, helping the hosts chase down Zimbabwe's total of 114 for five
  • Indian wrestler Komal won bronze in the women's 59 kg category at the Under-23 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, defeating Kazakhstan's Viktoriia Khusainova 7–2. Fellow Indian Amruta Pujari advanced to the women's 72 kg final after recording two pinfall victories
  • Indian shuttler Jagsher Singh Khangurra secured a bronze medal at the BWF World Junior Badminton Championships in Cairo
  • The Supreme Court of India upheld the Bombay High Court's decision quashing the 2020 write-off of ₹8,415 crore in additional tier-1 bonds issued by Yes Bank (Yes Bank). The court ruled that the bank's administrator lacked the authority to extinguish the bonds under the final reconstruction scheme, strengthening bondholders' claims
  • The Supreme Court issued notices to the Election Commission of India, Delhi Police and opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, in separate petitions concerning electoral-roll revision and protests held in Delhi on October 10–12. The court also directed the preservation of CCTV footage linked to allegations of police excesses
  • The Supreme Court ruled that a person converting from Hinduism to Islam cannot automatically claim backward-class reservation benefits in the new religious community solely on the basis of their previous caste status. The judgment upheld the Madras High Court's decision striking down a 2024 Tamil Nadu government order that permitted such certification for specified communities
  • The Election Commission of India ordered a Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls in 14 states and three Union Territories, using January 1, 2027, as the qualifying date for voter eligibility. The draft rolls are scheduled for publication on November 12, claims and objections will be accepted until December 11, and the final rolls are due on January 4, 2027
Delhi HC refuses to ban CJP's Tiranga rally at Central Park in Connaught Place today /////// Police says will control and regulate it /////// NDMC closes the park for the public on Friday and Saturday
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Karnataka Elections: No-Holds-Barred Contest

By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2023-03-30 06:23:07

About the Author

Sunil Garodia Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator. Author of Cyber Scams in India, Digital Arrest, The Money Trap and The Human Hack

With the Election Commission (EC) announcing May 10 as the date for holding elections in single phase in Karnataka, the stage is set for what is going to be one of the most fiercely contested state election before the 2024 general elections. The voting pattern in Karnataka shows that both the BJP and the Congress are equally supported by the electorate and even a small swing or favourable alliances can tilt the scale in favour of either. Then there is the JD(S) which, despite losing favour with the voters, still retains a loyal base in some pockets and is hoping to play kingmaker once more.

Both the BJP and the Congress are trying to control infighting in their respective parties. There are many factions in both the parties which work at cross purposes and are likely to dent their chances in several seats if not controlled. The BJP is also up against the anti-incumbency factor and the fact that the incumbent government is usually voted out by the people in the state. The state is going to witness triangular contests in most seats and the JD(S) can hope to win not more than 30-35 seats, enough to give it bargaining power if the elections throw up a fractured mandate.

In 2018, the Congress got 38% vote share, more than the BJPs 36.2% but won only 78 seats while the BJP won 104. The JD(S) got 18.4% votes and won 37 seats. The BJP formed the government first as the single largest party despite Congress-JD(S) having the numbers due to a post-poll alliance. B S Yeddiyurappa resigned without facing the trust vote and then the Congress- JD(S) formed the government with H D Kumaraswamy as chief minister. The alliance government lasted just 14 months and defections from Congress meant that the house majority shrank and Kumaraswamy lost the trust vote. Yeddiyurappa once again became chief minister in 2019.

This time too, if there is a hung assembly, there is likely to be horse trading. The BJP is going all out to tell the people not to vote for the JD(S) to avoid a fractured mandate but Kumaraswamy drew huge crowds in his Pancharatna Yatra. Then there is the caste factor and the minority factor (the state had witnessed huge protests against the order banning the hijab). While the BJP is hoping that it will romp home due to Prime Minister Modi's appeal with the voters and the fact that the Congress is divided, the Congress is going to pin the BJP on corruption. It is going to be a no-holds-barred contest with much at stake for both the Congress and the BJP.

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