Lok Sabha Polls Phase 3: 14 Seats In Karnataka To See Tough Fight Between BJP, Congress. Check Key Battles

Lok Sabha Polls Phase 3: Karnataka set to witness a head-to-head contest between the ruling Congress and the BJP.

Lok Sabha Polls Phase 3: Karnataka set to witness a head-to-head contest between the ruling Congress and the BJP.

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Lok Sabha Polls Phase 3: Fourteen seats in Karnataka are set to go to the polls in Karnataka on Tuesday in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. The stage is set for the second phase of elections in the 14 remaining Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka on Tuesday. Around 2.59 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise across 28,269 polling stations from 7 am to 6 pm.

The southern state will see a head-to-head contest between the ruling Congress and the BJP as the two parties are poised to clash in the northern districts' parliamentary segments, with the JD(S) throwing its weight behind its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partner, the saffron party abstaining from the fray.

The contest encompasses 14 Lok Sabha constituencies. The first phase of polling in the state took place on April 26 across the southern and coastal districts. In this phase, attention shifts to the northern belts, with 227 candidates, comprising 206 men and 21 women, vying for victory.

The constituencies in contention include Chikkodi, Belgaum, Bagalkot, Bijapur, Gulbarga, Raichur, Bidar, Koppal, Bellary, Haveri, Dharwad, Uttara Kannada, Davangere, and Shimoga.

Lok Sabha Phase 3 Voting: Key Battles 

Shivamogga: BY Raghavendra Vs Geetha Shivarajkumar

Shivamogga Lok Sabha seat is one of the crucial seats in Karnataka, which is going to polls today in the third phase of polling. The seat will witness a contest between the BJP's BY Raghavendra, who is the son of B. S. Yediyurappa, and Congress’s Geetha Shivarajkumar.

The 2019 Lok Sabha Elections in Shimoga saw a voter turnout of 76.40%, as per the Times of India report. The seat was bagged by the BJP's B.Y. Raghavendra.

Haveri: Basavaraj Bommai Vs Anandaswamy Gaddadevaramath

The Haveri Lok Sabha seat will also witness a high-voltage electoral battle between the BJP and the Congress.The saffron party has fieded former Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai while the grand old party has given an opportunity to Anandswamy Gaddadevaramath, the son of a former Congress MLA trying to give a tough fight.

Four-time MLA in the past, former CM Bommai is seeking an entry into the Lok Sabha this time after the incumbent MP Shivakumar Udasi who bagged the seat thrice, decided to stay away from politics after his father’s demise. 

Haveri, which was earlier known as Dharwad South Lok Sabha constituency, was later changed after the delimitation exercise in 2008.    

Kalaburagi:  BJP’s Umesh Jadhav Vs Cong Radhakrishna Doddamani

Kalaburagi Lok Sabha seat, which is considered a stronghold of the Congress, witnessed a change in its political arithmetic after the BJP's Umesh Jadhav defeated the grand old party’s Mallikarjun Kharge in the 2019 elections. Kalaburagi, or Gulbarga, is a Scheduled Caste category parliamentary seat. The saffron party has repeated Jadhav, whereas the Congress has fielded Radhakrishna Doddamani with the hope of taking back the seat. Doddamani is the son-in-law of Congress Party chief Kharge. 

Other candidates include Janata Dal (Secular), Aam Aadmi Party, and Bahujan Samaj Party, but their presence is marginal. Moreover, this is also the home constituency of Mallikarjun Kharge. 

Dharwad: Pralhad Joshi Vs Vinod Asooti

Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency has become a focal point in the ongoing polls. This Lok Sabha seat plays a pivotal role in shaping the state's political landscape. Union Minister and sitting MP Pralhad Joshi from the BJP is pitted against Vinod Asooti from the Congress. The 2019 elections witnessed a fierce showdown in Dharwad. Joshi won the seat with a substantial margin of 2,05,072 votes, garnering 6,84,837 votes against Vinay Kulkarni of the grand old party.

JD(S) Not Contesting Polls In Phase 3 

The JD(S) has extended support to the NDA ally BJP and is not contesting in these seats. The state sends 28 MPs to the Lok Sabha. The first phase of polling in 14 seats in most of the southern and coastal districts was held on April 26. A total of 227 candidates—206 men and 21 women—are in the fray for the second phase.