Karnataka election 2018 dates announced: Top developments

The Karnataka elections will be held on May 12. The Election Commission also said that the counting would be held on May 15. The polling would be held in a single phase.

The last date to file the nomination would be April 24, the EC also announced. The date of notification has been announced as April 17 and the last date to withdraw the nominations would be April 27.

Here are the Highlights:

Election Commission constitutes a panel to probe the issue of BJP's Amit Malviya having tweeted Karnataka poll dates before an official announcement was made.

The BJP's IT Cell Chief Amit Malviya has said that his tweets on the dates of the Karnataka elections were based on a news break put out by a television channel.

Rajnath Singh says BJP will win Karnataka polls

"BJP will get clear majority in the upcoming elections in Karnataka. No divisive politics will work this time," Rajnath Singh told reporters outside Parliament.

Rahul Gandhi mocks Amit Shah's slip of the tongue:

Now that the BJP IT cell has announced Karnataka elections, time for a sneak preview of our top secret campaign video!

Gifted to us by the BJP President, our campaign in Karnataka is off to a fabulous start. He says Yeddyurappa ran the most corrupt Govt ever...

True. pic.twitter.com/UYqGDZuKyR

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 27, 2018

BJP national president Amit Shah embarrassed his state president B S Yeddyurappa with his slip of the tongue by calling him as the most corrupt government ever.

The Indian Youth Congress on March 27 will stage a protest march against Election Commission for allegedly leaking its confidential details pertaining to the election dates of Karnataka Assembly to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

The Congress on Tuesday dubbed the BJP "Super Election Commission", taking strong objection to its IT cell chief tweeting the date of the Karnataka Assembly election before the Election Commission had announced it.

The Chief Election Commissioner, O P Rawat said that he would look into allegations of the Karnataka election dates being leaked before the commission announced it.

Amit Malaviya 'guesses' Karnataka poll dates at least 40 minutes before Election Commission announces them

BJP Chief Amit Shah on Tuesday expressed confidence that the BJP will win Karnataka assembly elections handsomely and said that the party will not go for an alliance with JD(S) but contest independently in all the seats.

Former prime minister HD Deve Gowda on Tuesday categorically said Janata Dal (Secular) go with Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in the post-poll alliance.

Important dates for Karnataka elections:

• 17 April, 2018: Issue of notification
• 24 April, 2018: Last date of nomination
• 25 April, 2018: Date of scrutiny
• 27 April, 2018: Last date of withdrawal of candidates
• 12 May, 2018: Date of Polling
• 15 May, 2018: Counting of votes

Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat was addressing the media in New Delhi and said that the model code of conduct will come into effect immediately after the dates are announced. The elections are expected to be single phase. The elections are politically crucial for the Congress government led by Siddaramaiah as well as the BJP as it is the only big state where the Grand Old Party is in power after losing a string of assembly polls to the saffron party in the last few years.

OneIndia News