The BJP is focusing determinedly on the seats it lost in 2019, with the hope of winning these either independently or with the aid of its allies.
Buoyed by the recent victories in bypolls, Rahul was keen to revamp the state unit.
Voting came to an end for the Karnataka assembly elections on Wednesday at 6 pm with data showing a voter turnout of 65.69 per cent an hour ago.
Janata Dal (Secular) leaders, who have been rallying behind dismissed Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, have set August 20 as deadline for party chief H D Devegowda "to repent and rectify the mistake".
The suspended Congress MLA made it clear he would not fly to Mumbai or Delhi, unlike the other disgruntled MLAs who have camped in a Mumbai hotel.
In Telangana, for more than two months, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao ran his government with just one cabinet colleague Mohammed Mahmood as Home Minister.
'We all are together and whatever decision we have taken.. at any cost no question of going back (on resignations)'
Chief Electoral Officer M N Vidyashankar said on Sunday an average of 66 per cent polling was registered in the first phase of elections in the segments spread over 11 districts. This is higher than the 65.07 per cent average polled in the 224 assembly segments in 2004 polls.
"Why should I not? Let them file a complaint. If they want to put me behind the bars, I'm ready. I am already facing a lot of issues. I don't mind about all these things. I have taken a very big risk. Definitely, I won't say no. I know someone has recorded it. Let him release it. What is wrong in it," he said while talking to reporters. He was responding to media questions about the allegations that he tore the resignation of the some of the MLAs.
He also said the expansion of his cabinet would take place once state Congress leaders get an approval from their high command.
The party desperate to retain power in the state will also prepare dossiers on opposition MLAs to assess the winability of prospective party nominees.
The speaker said he would take a decision on the remaining 14 cases in a "couple of days."
"You are made to read lies, so please don't read it," BJP members said.
The BSP is depending on votes from Dalits and minorities to make inroads into Congress and JD-S vote banks. The party is confident of coming in third place, saying that would be a satisfactory result for its first foray into Karnataka politics.
Different options to defuse the crisis threatening the existence of the coalition had reportedly emerged at the Gowda-Gandhi meeting but both parties have remained tightlipped on the outcome of the talks.\n\n
Amid speculations of Operation Hasta' going on in Karnataka to woo Bharatiya Janata Party leaders to join the Congress, former BJP minister B C Patil and ex-MLA Narasimha Naik met Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar during the birthday party of noted Kannada film actor Sudeep Sanjeev, who is popularly known as Sudeep.
Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Union minister Thaawarchand Gehlot on Sunday took oath as the 19th Governor of Karnataka succeeding Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala.
Minor explosions occurred in the office buildings of the Janata Dal Secular and Congress parties in Bangalore on Friday evening, police said on Saturday. \n
Reacting to the voting, chief minister Kamal Nath said, "The BJP says daily that we are a minority government and one which could fall any day."
Terming his ouster by JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda as an "act of vendetta and undemocractic," sacked Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, on Saturday, categorically ruled out joining any party, including the Congress.
The BJP and Congress have already launched spirited campaigns for the elections.
'Ideally, Gowda should ask for a Cabinet berth in the Union government. This would help us build the party and a tie-up for us with the Congress is always good, keeping in mind the forthcoming elections.' says Janata Dal-S MP Shivanna.
' Modi is for the entire country, not just for Karnataka. He had come for campaigning here. The Congress might have won in Karnataka but has seen defeat across the country. Is it the win of local leaders or state leaders?'
With this, the Cabinet will reach its full strength of 34.
He rubbished claims that Kumaraswamy was set to leave the JD-S and said that the JD-S would soon begin its election campaign.
The coming weeks are sure to have a lot of drama unfolding in Maharashtra, predicts N Sathiya Moorthy.
As of now, it seems highly unlikely that Kumaraswamy will pass the floor test as the BJP has decided to pull out. However, things may be different if the Congress steps in by then and supports the JDS from outside.
'Majority of the workers are not interested in the coalition'
He said the cabinet expansion exercise may not take a week's time and a direction from the leadership was likely by Monday.
Security was beefed up on Monday a day after a row broke out over the removal of a saffron Hanuman flag from Keragodu village in Mandya, with protests demanding its restoration and the incident sparking a political confrontation between the Congress government and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party-Janata Dal (Secular).
Leaders of 13 Opposition parties Sunday urged the Centre to launch a free mass vaccination drive across the country in view of the unprecedented surge in COVID-19 cases.
Apart from the 18 members of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), including the Bharatiya Janata Party, seven non-National Democratic Alliance parties will attend the ceremony, going by their stated position on the issue which has snowballed into another political flashpoint between the ruling and opposition camps.
The BJP leadership knows it can't boast of governance in the state as the Bommai government has little to show. So, the game plan is to project Modi, who will reiterate how important it is for a state to have the same party ruling in power at the Centre, observes Ramesh Menon.
Murmu's vote share is now likely to go past 61 per cent, while it was earlier estimated to be around 50 per cent at the time of her nomination.
Mumbai police provided security to Patil, the legislator from Kagwad in Belgaum district, who arrived in Mumbai on Thursday and was hospitalised after he complained of chest pain.
'To draw the attention of the country away from their own misdeeds, the BJP government is taking false actions against Congress leaders'
Sixty-eight-year old Dharam Singh would be the chief minister.
The Congress fielded former Governor Margaret Alva's son Nivedit Alva from the Kumta assembly seat.
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