Karnataka Elections: Muslim Reservation, Polarisation, And Corruption Expected at Top Campaign Material

Bengaluru/Hyderabad, March 30 (Hydnow): As political parties, including the key players BJP, Congress, and Janata Dal (Secular), AIMIM have geared up for the May 10 Assembly elections in Karnataka, the issues that are expected to the among the top campaign material are Muslim Reservation, Polarisation, and Corruption.

As of now in the 234 Assembly seats in Karnataka, the Congress party which has already started its campaign 3 months back has already announced its candidates for about half of the seats, while the AIMIM which is entered into the field and plans to go aggressively against the BJP government’s decision of scrapping of 4 percent reservation to the Muslim Minorities in employment and education, Hijab row and other issues of Minorities with regard to their welfare and development has already announced 3 names Lateef Khan Ameer Khan Pathan from Belagavi North-11, Durgappa Kashappa Bijwada from Hubli Dharwad East 72 and Alla Baksha Mahboob Saheb from Bijapur-Basavana Bhigwada 28, the AIMIM has also announced that it will contest 30 seats where the population of the Muslims is more, according the Muslim voters in Karnataka has influence in 35 to 40 seats. However, the other remaining parties have not declared any candidates.

The Muslims Reservation issue has become a major issue, particularly after the BJP government’s decision of scrapping the 4 percent reservation for Muslims under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota and distributing it equally among the dominant Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities, while placing Muslims under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category and introduction of internal reservation for different Dalit communities under Schedule Caste (SC) category are bound to raise tempers on the poll scene. This issue may polarise the voting trend.

With regard to corruption, the Congress party may make the issue a major issue as it got in hand the recent arrest of BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa and his son in a bribery case that has put the ruling BJP on a backfoot. Congress has made corruption a central theme of its campaign, pointing to various “scams” and 40 percent commission charges by a contractors’ body. The BJP has sought to counter the narrative by highlighting alleged graft during previous Congress regimes both at the Centre and the State, especially the alleged de-notification scam by the Siddaramaiah government.

The pros and cons of election promises made by the ruling BJP, the Congress, and JD (S) will come under close scrutiny. The BJP has already alleged that the Congress does not honor its poll promises, while the latter is likely to attack the ruling party alleging a lack of sufficient job creation in the country. (Hydnow)

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