Why traditional BJP supporters Lingayats voted for Congress

In Chhattisgarh, the ruling Congress will face off against the BJP, with the Aam Aadmi Party and BSP also fielding candidates. In Mizoram, the ruling MNF will aim to retain power against opposition parties. The campaigning in both states has involved heated political clashes and the highlighting of key issues.

Barring Brahmins and OBC Bunt and Billava communities, every other social category chose Congress in poll dominated by bread and butter issues.

Congress had fielded 46 Lingayat candidates, of whom 37 won. Only 15 Lingayats from BJP secured victory, though it fielded 69 candidates from the community. Lingayats comprise an estimated 14% of the 5. 3 crore electorate, while Vokkaligas, the other politically prominent community, account for about 12%. Lingayats dominate about 90 of the 224 assembly segments in the state and Congress has won many of these seats.

The upcoming Telangana assembly polls will witness a three-way contest between the ruling BRS party, Congress, and the BJP. The BJP's entry into the fray is expected to divide the anti-incumbency votes against the BRS, while also denting the chances of Congress. Despite its limited presence, the BJP plans to support independent candidates in constituencies where it lacks its own candidates.

The states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana are slated to go to polls later this year.

Karnataka Election 2023 Live Voting: A total of 2,613 candidates are in fray in the high-octane battle. The BJP has fielded 224 candidates across all seats, Congress in 223 seats and Janata Dal (Secular) in 207 seats.

Madhya Pradesh is set to go to the polls on Friday, with 2,533 candidates vying for the 230 assembly seats. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his predecessor Kamal Nath are among the contenders in a fierce contest between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress. The state has made extensive arrangements for the single-phase voting, which will take place across all 230 assembly seats.

In 2018, when it formed a 14-month government led by H.D. Kumaraswamy in alliance with the Congress, the JD(S) had won 30 out of its 37 seats or about 79% of its total seats from the Old Mysore region.

The bustling political landscape of Madhya Pradesh witnessed a culmination of high-decibel campaigning on Wednesday evening in anticipation of the upcoming assembly polls scheduled for November 17. Leaders from various contesting parties traversed the state extensively, engaging in a spectrum of activities from impassioned rallies to energetic roadshows.

In UP, where 10 seats are up for grabs, the Bharatiya Janata Party named prominent realtor and former parliamentarian Sanjay Seth as its eighth candidate. | Latest News India