Karnataka Assembly elections 2023: Polling in single-phase on May 10, results on May 13

The Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday, March 29, announced the date and schedule for the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections. The state will go to polls in a single phase on May 10, 2023, and the counting of votes will take place on May 13.

"All arrangements will be made at the polling station for the convenience of senior citizens and PwD voters. For the first time, a home voting facility is also there in Karnataka for 12.15 lakh 80 years+ and 5.55 lakh benchmarked PwD voters," CEC Rajiv Kumar said.

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 Karnataka Assembly elections: Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar pic.twitter.com/fNlVxVcta6

— ANI (@ANI) March 29, 2023

Karnataka, which has a 224-member assembly, currently has 119 BJP MLAs, 75 Congress MLAs, and 28 JD(S) MLAs. The campaign by political parties in the state has already started, with Congress leveling allegations of corruption on the BJP, in an attempt to corner the government. The BJP leaders are also not leaving any stone unturned to return to power by rallying for Kannadiga issues and stressing on reservation for communities like Lingayat and Vokkaliga. 

Karnataka Assembly elections 2023: Full schedule 

Vote-from-Home facility for first time

Currently, around 5.21 crore registered voters in the state will exercise their franchise during the elections, including 2.59 crore women. The latest report by the Election Commission reveals that there are 9.17 lakh first-time voters, over 4,500 transgender voters, over 12 lakh voters above 80 years of age, and 5.55 lakh differently-abled voters. 

With the Karnataka assembly polls nearing, the EC also announced a Vote-from-Home facility (VFH) for people who are over 80 years of age and those with disabilities. Chief Election Commissioner, Rajiv Kumar said, "For the first time the ECI is going to provide the facility to those above 80 years of age. Our teams will go there with a form-12D to exercise their franchise."

Karnataka assembly elections 2018 

The previous assembly polls were held in 2018 and the state is currently ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), under the leadership of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. However, the BJP didn’t come to power immediately after the 2018 elections as the assembly saw a coalition between the Indian National Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular). The coalition of both parties made HD Kumaraswamy the Chief Minister of the state. 

However, the coalition government collapsed in 2019 and the BJP formed its government in Karnataka with BS Yediyurappa holding the Chief Minister’s office. On the instructions of the party's senior leadership, he resigned in 2021 and Basavaraj Bommai became the new Chief Minister on July 28, 2021. 

The 2018 Karnataka assembly polls were held on May 12, 2018, in a single phase to elect members of the legislative assembly from 222 constituencies. According to reports, the assembly polls were delayed in the Rajarajeshwari Nagar and Jayanagar constituency due to a voter fraud scandal and the death of a sitting MLA, respectively. The counting of votes took place on May 15, 2018, with the election witnessing the highest voter turnout at 72.13 percent since the 1952 assembly polls.