The Election Commission will announce the polling schedule for 224-member Karnataka assembly today. The last state elections were held in the first week of May in 2008.
Karnataka Assembly Election dates announced latest updates: The Election Commission of India announced on Tuesday evening that it has set up a panel to investigate the leak of Karnataka election dates. The committee will submit its report in seven days and due action will be taken against those found guilty after that.
A massive twitter was has erupted after Rahul Gandhi mocked Amit Shah after he mistakenly called BS Yeddyurappa corrupt. BJP's Karnataka unit's twitter handle put out tweets addressed to Rahul Gandhi calling him silly for wanting to base his party's campaign on a mistake. ECI has set up a committee to look into the poll date leak issue.
BJP national IT cell chief Amit Malviya wrote to the election commission clarifying his tweet before the poll dates were announced. He said that that his party did not have any special access to election commission sources and he merely saw it on TV before taking to twitter. He also said that a Congress functionary also got the dates at the same time.
Rahul Gandhi took to twitter to mock Amit Shah after he mistakenly called Yeddyurappa corrupt, while he in fact meant to come down on Siddaramaiah. The Congress president also wittily managed to compress a comeback at the saffron party's IT cell chief Amit Malviya in the same tweet.
BJP leaders will meet the Election Commission at 2.30 pm after a controversy broke out over Amit Malviya's tweet, who tweeted out the dates of election and counting before the poll panel could announce them.
The Election Commission on Tuesday announced that voting to elect a new Karnataka Assembly will be held on 12 May and results will be declared on 15 May, setting the ball rolling for one of the most prestigious battles between the Congress and the BJP.
"It will be a single phase election," Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat told reporters here. He said the date of notification is April 17 and the last date to file nominations is 24 April. The scrutiny of nominations will take place on 25 April and the last day for withdrawal is 27 April. He said the model code of conduct came into effect immediately in the state which will also be applicable to the central government. The polling will take place on 12 May and counting will be held three days later on 15 May, he said.
Rawat said VVPAT machines, apart from EVMs, will be deployed in Karnataka for the polls. The 224-member Assembly expires on 28 May in the state where the Congress is currently in power, with 122 seats against the BJP's 43. Karnataka is one of the eight states where polls were scheduled this year. Elections to three northeastern states were held last month.
Here are the 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.
The high-octane political campaigns which have been ongoing for past couple of months witnessed both the Congress and the BJP slugging it out alleging each other of communal politics. The tenure of the 224-member Karnataka Legislative Assembly expires on 28 May and the new House has to be constituted before that.
The last state elections were held in the first week of May in 2008. The elections are being seen politically crucial for the ruling Congress as well as the BJP as it is the only big state where the former is in power after losing a string of assembly elections to the saffron party in the last few years.

File image of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Karnataka BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa. Getty Images and PTI
The BJP is making a concerted bid to unseat the Congress. Beside, the Congress and the BJP, the JD(S) led by former prime minister H D Deve Gowda is the third player in the fray. The high-octane political campaigns which have been ongoing for past couple of months witnessed both the Congress and the BJP slugging it out alleging each other of communal politics. The tenure of the 224-member Karnataka Legislative Assembly expires on 28 May and the new House has to be constituted before that.
Incumbent Siddaramaiah-led Congress government is eyeing a second term in the state. The BJP, which is currently in power in 20 states, is trying to add a 21st state to the list. A win in Karnataka would be a massive boost for the BJP as the saffron party has been eyeing South India for a while now.The Congress government's decision, political observers have said, is aimed at denting the vote bank of the BJP, which has declared BS Yeddyurappa its chief ministerial candidate. Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) is the third party in the fray.