The Election Commission has announced the schedule for the Karnataka polls and said voters above 80 years can vote from home. The poll panel also said the focus is on young voters to vote in the crucial elections. The state will vote in a single phase on May 10 and the results would be declared on May 13. The poll body has also announced the 100 per cent enrollment eligible particularly vulnerable tribal groups.


Here are the highlights from the poll panel's press conference:



  • First-time voters have increased from 2018-19 by 9.17 lakhs in Karnataka. All young voters who are turning 18 years of age by April 1, will be able to vote in the Karnataka Assembly elections.

  • Karnataka has 5,21,73,579 registered electors in 224 Assembly constituencies in the State. 58,282 polling stations to be set up across the State.

  • Strengthening team in Karnataka to curb the use of money power in elections. 2400 Static Surveillance teams to keep strict vigil. Monitoring 171 Interstate check posts in 19 districts (sharing borders with other states), chief election commissioner Rajib Kumar said.

  • Over 9.17 lakh first-time voters will participate in the elections.

  • There will be a total of 52,282 polling stations of which 50 percent will have a webcasting facility.  

  • There will be 240 model polling stations across the states and 1320 polling stations will be managed by women while 100 polling stations will be operated by PwDs.

  • 224 polling stations will be set up and managed by the youngest available polling staff in a bid to encourage young voters.

  • Assured minimum facilities at every polling station - ramp/wheelchair, toilets, electricity, and drinking water.

  • The Election Commission of India launched a Hackathon - Electhon 2023, to address issues such as urban and youth apathy. Over 746 teams have registered so far to provide solutions to enhance the participation of urban and youth voters.

  • cVigil App for grievance redressal with a response within 100 minutes and PwD App for new registration, migration, correction in EPIC details, and request for a wheelchair. ‘KYC portal’ for voters to know about the candidates contesting the election and ‘Suvidha portal’ for candidates to file nominations and affidavits and seek permission for rallies and meetings. 


On Wayanad



  • CEC Rajiv Kumar said, "We have six months' time to hold a by-election after a seat falls vacant. The trial court has given 30 days time for judicial remedy. So, we will wait," when asked about Rahul Gandhi's Wayanad Assembly which fell vacant after his disqualification as an MP


Both Congress and BJP have set a target of winning 150 seats in the state marred with controversies in the poll year.


Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said the BJP will begin the process of choosing its candidates for the Assembly polls, in the coming days. He said BJP's poll manifesto this time will be 'Praja Pranalike' (people's manifesto).


"Our process (of selecting candidates) will begin in the coming days, our process includes discussions at the Assembly level, followed by district-level core committee. Then it will be deliberated at the state core committee, and will be decided by the central leadership," Bommai told reporters in response to a question.


The Congress and JD(S) have already announced their first list of 124 and 93 candidates, respectively.


The current assembly was constituted after the 2018 Karnataka assembly elections, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the largest party with 104 seats, but fell short of a majority. 


The Indian National Congress (INC) and the Janata Dal (Secular) (JDS) formed a post-poll alliance and came to power with HD Kumaraswamy as the Chief Minister. However, this government fell in July 2019 after a series of defections and the BJP formed a new government with BS Yediyurappa as the Chief Minister. 


Basavaraj Bommai took over as the Chief Minister of Karnataka on July 28, 2021, after his predecessor, Yediyurappa, stepped down from the post on July 26, 2021.