Karnataka Election To Opposition's Search For A United Platform Ahead Of 2024 Polls: The Week Ahead

From the simmering Karnataka election campaigns to Nitish Kumar and Mamata Banerjee's search for a United Opposition platform — here's what to expect in The Week Ahead.

From the Karnataka election campaigns in the south to the search for a united Opposition front in the east — here's what to expect in The Week Ahead.

Source : PTI

As the week starts, begin your Monday morning with ABP Live's dose of the political events expected to take place this week. The tension around the Karnataka elections is palpable as the nomination filing ended last week. The Congress and BJP are on a warpath as they hurl barbs at each other in their poll campaigns. With BJP's national President JP Nadda himself embarking on a three-day campaign, matters are sure to heat up.

On the eastern side of the country, politics is simmering over the talks of an anti-BJP Opposition platform without the Congress. The week is likely to be eventful as Bihar CM Nitish Kumar explores options with Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav. Kumar's government will also parry a challenge to the caste-based survey in the Supreme Court this week.

Stay with ABP Live as we try to cut the clutter around the latest news from the political arena and help you understand what is likely to happen in The Week Ahead. Here are the biggest political developments expected to play out this week.

KARNATAKA ELECTION: PARTIES TO INTENSIFY CAMPAIGNING

The campaigning for the Karnataka elections is heating up by the day as both Congress and BJP launch attacks on each other. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is in Karnataka, carried forward his party's '40% Government' campaign against the BJP on Sunday and said that the BJP will get only 40 seats. A reply in kind is expected from BJP national president JP Nadda as he begins his three-day campaigning on Monday. He will hold a road show in Sidlaghatta in the Chikkaballapura district and visit the temple at Sirsi in Uttara Kannada district. He will address several public meetings during his visit to Karnataka.

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi will attend the ‘Yuvakranti Samavesha’ in Belagavi to woo the youths. On Thuesday, he will attend a ‘Praja Dhwani’ rally before returning to Bengaluru.

Rahul Gandhi will visit Udupi on April 27 as part of the Karnataka election campaign. Gandhi will interact with the fishermen's community in Uchila to understand their problems. State Congress president D K Shivakumar arrived in Udupi on Sunday and addressed a public rally in Byndoor

Congress president DK Shivakumar will visit the Kollur temple on Monday and participate in a massive road show from Udupi city bus stand to Ajjarkad. He will then hold a public meeting, which is expected to draw more than 10,000 participants. 

An intense campaign will be conducted in the coming days for the five candidates from the Udupi district. These five candidates are Molahalli Dinesh Hegde from Kundapura constituency, former MLA K Gopal Poojari from Byndoor, Vinaya Kumar Sorake from Kaup, Muniyalu Uday Shetty from Karkala, and Prasad Raj Kanchan from the Udupi assembly constituency. 

SUPREME COURT HEARING ON CASTE CENSUS

Politics over the matter of caste census is likely to heat up over the next few weeks as the Supreme Court has agreed to hear a new plea that challenges the Bihar government's decision to conduct a caste-based survey in the state. The top court will hear the matter on April 28. While the Opposition, including the Congress, has been strengthening its demand for a nationwide cast census, the BJP has criticised the Grand Old Party for its "hypocrisy" as it was opposed to the same when it was in power.

The bench, consisting of Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha, acknowledged the request of an advocate who urged an urgent hearing of the matter. The advocate informed the bench that the second phase of the caste survey began on April 15 and will end on May 15. The bench agreed to schedule a hearing on April 28. 

Earlier on January 20, the apex court had declined to consider a batch of pleas contesting the Bihar government's decision to conduct the survey, stating that the petitions lacked merit and dismissed them, granting the petitioners the freedom to approach the relevant high court.

NITISH KUMAR TO RESUME HUNT FOR NON-CONGRESS OPPN FRONT

In the hunt for a non-Congress anti-BJP Opposition front ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar will meet his Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav this week. Accompanied by Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, Kumar is slated to visit Banerjee on Monday and then Akhilesh Yadav. Both Banerjee and Yadav are opposed to an alliance with the Congress.

While nearly the entire Opposition has been speaking in one voice of late, a rare show of unity, after Rahul Gandhi's disqualification as a Lok Sabha MP, a united platform eludes the party leaders. Both Banerjee and Nitish Kumar are holding parleys with various non-BJP parties to bring them on a single platform. Last month, Banerjee met Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy, and Akhilesh Yadav.

AMIT SHAH TO EMBARK ON FIREFIGHTING MISSION IN PUDUCHERRY

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is slated to visit Puducherry on Monday. The visit, according to sources, visit is primarily intended to resolve the issues between Chief Minister N Rangasamy and the BJP legislators.

Since the coalition government of All India NR Congress (AINRC) and BJP assumed office in the Union Territory, differences have emerged between the two parties. Rangasamy was unhappy with the BJP's unilateral decision on the three nominated MLAs while he was recovering from Covid-19 at a private hospital in Chennai.

Rangasamy's decision not to visit New Delhi and meet with the Prime Minister, Home Minister, or Finance Minister has raised suspicions about the relationship between the two parties.

BJP National General Secretary (Organisation) B.L. Santosh recently attended a meeting of BJP legislators and got first-hand information on the ground realities in Puducherry. Additionally, BJP national secretary Nirmal Kumar Surana announced in a meeting with local leaders that the party would contest the upcoming Civic body polls alone, following Santosh's visit.

Chief Minister Rangasamy, who also holds the Finance portfolio, did not present his budget in the Assembly as the territorial government was unclear about the Central assistance. Instead, he presented the vote on account for the next five months on March 30, 2022.

Stay tuned to ABP Live as we track the updates on these stories and more.