Karnataka elections 2023 Highlights: Nomination process ends today, BJP says 'only Lingayat will become CM'

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". The politically-influential Lingayat community comprises about 17 per cent of Karnataka's population, mostly in northern parts of the state that the BJP counts as its strong vote base.

To a question whether a Lingayat will become CM, the party state in-charge said: "It is known to everyone. It is a universal truth in the BJP who will be the chief minister." When asked if his statement meant that only a Lingayat will become chief minister if BJP wins in Karnataka, Singh said: "It is. Just see." In the last 50 years, the BJP leader said the Congress had only one chief minister in the state coming from the Lingayat community (former CM Veerendra Patil) and that too only for nine months."

Congress party is cheating voters by giving false assurances. Congress leaders of this region failed to do any development work here in the last five years. This time there is a pro-BJP wave here. PM had promised to provide tap water connection to every household. Till now, 40 lakh houses have got tap water connections in the state, said Karnataka CM & BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai at a public rally in Afzalpur, Kalaburagi district.

The BJP government has completed 5 years in Karnataka. People are talking about the ill-treatment of seniors but not about other issues like development. Have important issues been solved? But now due to the negligence of the seniors (BJP), this discussion was started. Some people with vested interest are controlling the entire BJP in Karnataka and govt, said Jagadish Shettar, Congress.

"...We have majority of candidates from Lingayat community and will never say that vote for us because Lingayat candidates are contesting. Instead, those who are Hindutva should vote for BJP, be it Lingayat, Kurba, or Brahmin. By playing the Lingayat card, Congress is trying to win elections by dividing castes, said BJP leader KS Eshwarappa.

Our candidate will file for nomination. Voters from Hassan have clearly given the message that Hassan candidate from JD(S) will win the election. People will bless Swaroopa. Last time because of a small mistake in our organisation, we lost the election. We will win the election with a majority, said JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy.

BJP candidate Mahesh Tenginkai filed his nomination from the Hubli-Dharwad-Central Assembly constituency in the presence of Union Minister Pralhad Joshi.

Congress leader Mohiuddin Bava met JD(S) chief and former Prime Minister HD Devegowda after Congress denied him a ticket. He'll now contest as a JDS candidate.

"I am not angry with BJP... those who have left BJP have to be brought back. We've to bring them back to BJP who are angry with our party & joined Congress. BJP will win and form government with an absolute majority," said Karnataka BJP leader and former minister KS Eshwarappa.

"Congress party is infamous for its lies... What did Siddaramaiah do? First he should see who did the work of setting fire in Karnataka, the people of the whole world are following PM Modi, and people know what they have to do," BJP candidate Mahesh Tenginkai said.

"Today I am joining Congress. There are political reasons, due to which I am leaving BJP and joining Congress," said BJP MLC H Vishwanath.

Following a credible input, police seized unaccounted cash of Rs 1.54 crores from a car in Ramadurga in the Belagavi district of Karnataka. IT dept has been informed of the same, said police official.

The Congress on Wednesday tweeted a video clip of BJP chief J P Nadda's remarks in Karnataka, accusing him of "threatening" the voters and calling his comments a "blatant attack on democracy". Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh tweeted a video clip of Nadda addressing an election gathering in Karnataka, to attack the BJP "Karnataka mein vikas ki ganga behti rahe esliye main kamal ke nishan par vote maangne aaya hoon. Karnataka mein vikas chalta rahe, nirantar chalta rahe, ye chunav ka mudda hai. Jo Modi ji ka aashirvaad hai usse kahin Karnataka vanchit na ho jaye esliye mera aapse nivedan hai ki aapne kamal ko jitana hai aur Karnataka ke vikas ko aage badhana hai (Vote for the lotus symbol to ensure the river of development continues to flow in Karnataka.

The Congress in the early hours of Thursday released its sixth and final list of five candidates for the impending Karnataka assembly elections. In the final list, Mohammed Shalem was fielded from Raichur, BV Rajeev Gowda from Sidlaghatta, S Anand Kumar from C V Raman Nagar (SC), HP Sridhar Gowda from Arkalgud, and Inayath Ali from Mangalore City North. The party had on Wednesday replaced Mohammed Yousuf Savanur as its candidate from the Shiggaon constituency in Karnataka, currently under Chief Minister Basavraj Bommai, and fielded Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan instead from there.