Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], March 30 : Soon after the Election Commission of India announced the schedule for the Karnataka Assembly elections, Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Wednesday alleged that the ruling BJP has made the election system corrupt and hoped that the Election Commission would conduct free and fair elections.
"BJP has made the election system corrupt. They have started "Operation Lotus". They spend lots of money. The Election Commission should conduct the election in a free and fair manner. We hope they will do it," Siddaramaiah said.
However, welcoming the Election Commission's decision to hold a single-phase Assembly election in Karnataka on May 10, the Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly said that his party was prepared for the polls.
"We had expected that the elections would be declared yesterday or today. I welcome that this election is happening in a single phase," he added.
Earlier in the day, the Election Commission of India announced the schedule for the Karnataka Assembly polls.
"The notification for the elections to the 224-member Assembly would be issued on April 13 and that the last date for filing nomination papers would be April 20. The nomination papers would be scrutinised on April 21 and that last date for withdrawal of nominations would be April 24," Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said on Wednesday while addressing a press conference in New Delhi.
The counting of votes will be done on May 13.
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