Karnataka Election 2023 Live Updates: Politics of abuse hits campaign phase

Karnataka film star Shivarajkumar's wife Geetha Shivarajkumar on Friday joined the Congress, quitting the JD(S).

She is the daughter-in-law of Kannada thespian late Dr Rajkumar and daughter of former Chief Minister late S Bangarappa.

She was inducted into the party in the presence of state president D K Shivakumar, AICC spokesperson Gourav Vallabh, and her younger brother Madhu Bangarappa who is a Congress candidate from Soraba, among others.

Geetha's other brother and former Minister Kumar Bangarappa is in the BJP and is that party's candidate from Soraba.

"I'm very happy to be doing this. Congress is a historic party, one that made my father the Chief Minister," Geetha said.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday promised allocation of Rs one crore for each village panchayat, and Rs 5,000 crore for the Kalyana Karnataka region if his party is voted to power in the May 10 State Assembly polls.

Amid rains, the former Congress chief addressed an election rally, where he also promised to fill 50,000 government job vacancies.

We will allocate Rs 5,000 crore for this region. Each village panchayat will get Rs one crore, a drenched Gandhi said here in Kalaburagi district. 

The Kalyana Karnataka region comprises the districts of Bidar, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal, Kalaburagi, Ballari and Vijayanagara.

"The elections in Karnataka will decide the state's future. Remember that taking the right decision at the right time yields the right results. Otherwise, the results are always wrong. Double engine means the policy sent by Modi is implemented on the ground by Yediyurappa and Bommai. Such a government is called a double engine government," BJP National President JP Nadda has said.

"When Congress and JDS were in power, the names of 17 farmers were sent to the Kisan Samman Nidhi. Today, when Bommai ji's government is in power, more than 50 lakh farmers are getting the benefit of 'Kisan Samman Nidhi'.

Watch BJP National President JP Nadda address a public meeting in Chikkamagaluru

The Congress has lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party over the remarks made by the saffron party's MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, terming former Congress president Sonia Gandhi as 'Vishkanya'.

Karnataka Congress in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala took to Twitter to post a long response, stating that Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka and its leaders "have lost their mental and political balance".

The Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka and its leaders have lost their mental and political balance.

Facing a complete rout in the assembly elections, BJP leadership is frustrated to the core and is hurling filth and muck, which is the product of their ugly character and dirty… pic.twitter.com/BeteyF0FQX

— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) April 28, 2023

The narrative around the Karnataka Election campaign hit a new low after BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal called former Congress president Sonia Gandhi a 'Vishkanya'. The attack comes a day after the Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge likened Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a 'poisonous snake'. As a row erupted, Kharge later sought to clarify that his remarks were not aimed at the prime minister but at the ruling BJP.

Yatnal, who often courts controversies over his remarks, also called Sonia Gandhi an agent of Pakistan and China.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address four public meetings in Karnataka today

Meeting 1: Navalgund assembly constituency in Dharwad

Meeting 2: Srihatti assembly constituency in Gadag

Meeting 3: Hangal assembly constituency in Haveri

Meeting 4: Harihara assembly constituency in Davenegere

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri @AmitShah will address the Public Meetings in Karnataka on April 28, 2023.#DoubleEngineSarkara #BJPYeBharavase pic.twitter.com/wDj6LtMeG0

— Sanjay Bhatia (@bjpsanjaybhatia) April 28, 2023

Election Commission shares striking visuals from poll-bound Karnataka

Spreading Voter Awareness through Kayaking

Striking visuals straight from the Poll-bound #Karnataka

Spreading Voter Awareness through Kayaking

Don't forget to cast your vote in the forthcoming #KarnatakaElection2023 on May 10, 2023

📸 @ceo_karnataka#GoVote #IVote4Sure #EveryVoteMatters pic.twitter.com/cCzYGWu2CJ

— Election Commission of India #SVEEP (@ECISVEEP) April 28, 2023

BS Yediyurappa has lashed out at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge for calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a 'poisonous snake'.

Demanding an apology, Yediyurappa said: 'People will not forget this kind of comment, he must apologise.'

May 10 has been fixed as the date for voting in the state assembly elections. However, senior citizens and disabled people will vote from Saturday itself. Thus, 9000 people will vote from April 29 in Bangalore city district.

This is the first time that senior citizens and disabled people have been allowed to vote through ballot paper in the assembly elections. That too officials are going to their homes and giving them ballot papers and making them vote. This process will start from April 29 and voting through ballot paper is being allowed till May 6. 

Within 8 days, the officials will go to the homes of senior citizens and mentally-challenged voters who have registered to vote through ballot paper and give the ballot paper and get it back after voting.