Karnataka Elections 2023 UPDATES: Congress trying to divide country based on religion, alleges BJP

All-India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi said that Congress and BJP are demanding votes on the basis of the majority religion in the upcoming Karnataka elections. In this regard, Asaduddin Owaisi took to Twitter and said, "Congress and BJP are openly demanding votes on the basis of majority religion. Will Congress promise reconstruction of a demolished dargah in Hubli? It has surrendered its ideological battle with BJP. Will Modi be ok if I asked people to raise TAKBIR? The skies would fall".

Reacting to the Karnataka Congress manifesto promising to ban Bajrang Dal if voted to power, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy alleged that the Congress party has been trying to divide the country in the name of religion.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she would be happy if BJP’s “downfall” starts with the Karnataka Assembly polls. Banerjee, during an address at TMC's mass outreach campaign, also accused the saffron party of maligning the Hindu religion for its own interests.

Hitting out at the Congress over its promise to ban Bajrang Dal on the lines of the Popular Front of India (PFI) if voted to power in Karnataka, the international joint general secretary of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (HP), Surendra Jain asked the grand old party to tender an apology to the country.

Lord Hanuman has taken centre stage in poll-bound Karnataka as the Congress went on the defensive and on Thursday promised to construct and renovate Hanuman temples across the state, after outraged pro-Hindu outfits vented their anger over the party's promise to ban outfits like Bajrang Dal in its manifesto two days ago.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi likened the promised ban on Bajrang Dal to locking up Hanuman and his devotees, former deputy chief minister K S Eshwarappa burnt the Congress manifesto, and Bajrang Dal activists tore the Congress document, hit it with slippers and held rallies in several parts of the state demonstrating their protest.

Hindutva outfits have also decided to chant Hanuman Chalisa, the 40 couplets authored by 16th Century saint-poet Goswami Tulsidas in Awadhi, a dialect of Hindi.

"BJP government is in power for 3 years. Whenever there is a new government, it tries to create a new identity… isn’t it sad & shameful that Karnataka BJP is known as “40% Sarkar”? This name was not given by any party, but was given by the contractors who were forced to commit suicide," said Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

"We fight elections based on our programs, they fight elections on their promises. It is not right to stir up caste, religion and communal sentiments unnecessarily in elections, this shows the appeasement politics of Congress. The Congress party today is in the grip of SDPI and PFI, and it cannot get out of it," said Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai.

Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal recite Hanuman Chalisa in Vijayanagar in order to protest against the Congress manifesto for Karnataka elections.

Former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi would address an election rally in Hubballi on Saturday, her first campaign meeting for the May 10 Assembly elections in Karnataka.

The Congress candidate in Hubballi-Dharwad Central is former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who joined the party after being denied ticket to contest the elections by the BJP.

The BJP has fielded Mahesh Tenginkai in this segment.

The Dharwad Assembly constituency in north Karnataka, where sitting MLA and BJP leader Amrut Desai is fighting a tough battle against Vinay Kulkarni, is turning into a do or die battle for Union Minister Prahlad Joshi who is an MP from the region.

The Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday issued notice to BJP legislator, Basanagouda Patil Yatnal and Congress MLA Priyank Kharge over 'visha kanye' and 'nalayak beta' barbs traded in the run up to the May 10 Assembly elections in Karnataka.

In its notice, the EC has directed both leaders to submit their answers on May 4 (Thursday) by 5 p.m.

The notice has been issued for violating the model code of conduct, and making personal attacks.

The EC has asked both leaders to explain "why an action should not be initiated against them?"

While Yatnal, the BJP legislator from Karnataka's Vijayapura constituency called former INC president Sonia Gandhi 'visha kanye' (poisonous woman), Priyank, the son of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as 'nalayak beta' during a rally in Karnataka.

Declaration of poll manifestos by the parties especially BJP and Congress have zest up the election campaign in the state which is set to vote on May 10.