Karnataka elections 2023 updates: Amit Shah holds meeting with top BJP state leaders

Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a meeting with state BJP leaders in Bengaluru. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai was also present at the meeting.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) announced its first list of candidates on Friday for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly Elections scheduled to be held next month. The party also announced the name of star campaigners along with the name Of the candidates. 

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A video of a man wiping rainwater off the cutout of Prime Minister Narendra Modi erected in Devanahalli has gone viral. The video shows an elderly man clad in a white shirt and dhoti wiping the cutout of the Prime Minister drenched in rain on Friday evening. When the person who shot the video asked him whether he was doing it for money, the man replied, "I don't need money. I don't take money from anyone. I am doing it because of my love and trust on him (PM Modi). Choking in emotion, he said, "To us Modi is God."

BJP national president JP Nadda held a roadshow in Bidar district in order to woo voters ahead of polls.

Congress leader and former chief minister Siddaramaiah said that the upcoming polls would be mainly fought on local issues. "If we win Karnataka, it will be a stepping stone for national politics," he added. 

Union Minister Amit Shah has cancelled his road show due to bad weather in Devanahalli. According to officials, the roadshow was cancelled due to continuous rain in the region. Shah is on to a two-day visit to the poll-bound Karnataka to take out a roadshow in Devanahalli on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

Days after quitting BJP and joining Congress, former Karnataka Chief Minister Jagdish Shetter claimed that his self-respect was damaged and it was a challenge for him. "The public believed in me, & I maintained the same relationship with the people of Hubbali...My self-respect was damaged and it was a challenge...When I shifted to Congress I went to so many areas in my constituency yesterday (April 20)," he told ANI. 

BJP national president JP Nadda visited Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama in Bidar District. 

"I believe in people's court, they (BJP) are trying to use various agencies...I am very cautious on every move, I am also a political animal," said Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar.

"I didn't expect his (PM) call, it inspires me to win Shivamogga city and we'll try all possibilities to bring the BJP govt back in Karnataka. It’s not something special I have done. I have told the same to PM," said KS Eshwarappa after receiving the PM's call.

A total of 35 candidates filed their nominations for the eight Assembly constituencies in Dakshina Kannada district on the last day of the nomination process in poll-bound Karnataka, officials said. In all, 82 candidates have filed nominations for the eight constituencies in the coastal district from April 13 to April 20. The scrutiny of nominations will be held on Friday and candidates can withdraw their nominations till Monday. Voting will take place on May 10 and results would be declared on May 13.

PM Modi held a telephonic conversation with Karnataka BJP leader and former minister KS Eshwarappa.

he Election Commission has seized over 40 kilograms of gold and more than 20 kg silver with a combined worth of Rs 23. 51 crore in Tarikere Assembly constituency in Chikkamagaluru district ahead of elections in Karnataka next month, the poll body said on Thursday. The EC's flying surveillance teams confiscated 40. 59 kg gold and 20. 7 kg silver in the Assembly segment in the poll-bound state.

The BJP sought to fend off criticism of its treatment of Lingayat leaders as party national general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Arun Singh on Thursday said only a leader from the community will become Chief Minister in the state and revealed that it is a "universal truth" in the party. His categorical statement came a day after Lingayat leaders of the BJP raised the pitch with a campaign to name a leader from the community for the CM post in the poll-bound state to counter the Congress' narrative of branding the ruling party as "anti-Lingayat".

After a Special Court in Bengaluru rejected the request of Congress candidate Vinay Kulkarni seeking permission to visit his constituency, he on Thursday approached the High Court. Kulkarni is the main accused in the murder of BJP leader Yogesh Gowda in 2016 and was granted bail by the Supreme Court on the condition that he would not be allowed to enter Dharwad without the permission of the jurisdictional court. An Additional City Civil and Session Court, a Special Court for people's representatives, had on Monday rejected the application of Kulkarni seeking permission to visit the consitutency.