According to sources karnataka will see two-phase polling in the lok sabha elections after 15 years, but the gap between the two polling dates is 10 days, the longest yet. The bjp says that the election Commission’s decision to conduct the general elections spread over 80-odd days was just to ensure free, fair, and safe elections and there’s no need to read much into it. The Congress, on the other hand, call it a pre-planned strategy by the bjp to suit its “political mobilisation”.
Meanwhile karnataka is one of the most important states for the bjp as it is the only southern state it has been in power in. More importantly, the state sends 25 MPs to the Lok Sabha. The bjp has sealed a partnership with the HD Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) in the state. The JD(S) won one seat, Hassan, in the 2019 elections, while the Mandya seat was won by a BJP-backed candidate. In the previous lok sabha elections, the JD(S) had contested in alliance with the Congress.
An election is a celebration of democracy, and it is undoubtedly a mammoth task to conduct elections in one of the world’s biggest democracies,” said Arvind Bellad, Deputy leader of Opposition, Karnataka. Bellad added that the long schedule also gives time to the government and political parties to make adequate preparations. “Time is needed to mobilise security forces across for free, fair, and safe elections. One has to campaign, and all leaders must get enough time to campaign and this facilitates that,” he said.
Bengaluru Central’s bjp mp candidate and three-time mp PC Mohan added that the schedule was not unusual. “There is a need to move forces across for deployment during elections. There is nothing to read into.” In 2004, lok sabha polls across the country were held in 21 days, while in karnataka it was held in two phases april 20 (15 seats) and april 26 (13 seats). The gap between both phases was a week. The total duration of the electoral process this year from the day of announcement of the polls by the ec to counting day spans over 82 days. Voting days for the 2024 lok sabha polls will span over a period of 44 days as compared to the shortest voting window for a general election in 1980. It lasted merely for four days.
