Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is set to campaign in the upcoming Karnataka state election on April 25-26. The Congress leader will likely focus on boosting the party’s chances in the polls.
According to recent polls, Congress leader Siddaramaiah is the most preferred candidate for chief minister, with incumbent Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai from the Bharatiya Janata Party coming in second. The election for the 224-member Karnataka Legislative Assembly will take place on May 10, with the votes being counted on May 13. The term of the current assembly will end on May 24, 2023.
The BJP, led by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, is aiming to retain power and has emphasized the Kannadiga issue and the recent decision to grant reservation to Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities by scrapping a religion-based reservation for the Muslim community. Meanwhile, Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) are focusing on corruption issues to try and undercut the BJP’s campaign.
The Aam Aadmi Party has also released its manifesto, promising 10 guarantees such as 300 units of free electricity per month, reservation to locals in jobs, and 33% reservation to women in government jobs if elected to power. The party aims to generate 2 lakh jobs every year and fill all vacant posts, giving preference to the regularization of contractual staff and making Kannada proficiency mandatory for state government jobs.
Additionally, the Congress party has launched the “first-time youth voters” campaign ahead of the Karnataka Assembly elections in May, with the theme “Celebrate Your Vote.” State Youth Congress president Raksha Ramaiah will oversee the campaign, which aims to encourage young people to vote and engage with the democratic process.