Live Updates: Karnataka Elections, May 4th: 8 days to polling day

It’s May 4, eight days to polling day on May 12. Follow all the latest news from the campaign trail for Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 on our live blog, running daily right up till counting day on May 15

It was a sad start to campaigning on May 4 as news came that Jayanagar BJP MLA Vijay Kumar, who had collapsed during campaigning on Thursday, passed away at Jayadeva hospital, Bengaluru. BN Vijay Kumar (60) was suffering from heart related ailment, reported News9

• Crop loan waiver upto ₹1 lakh, including all loans from Nationalised Banks and Co-operatives
• Allocation of ₹1,50,000 crore for various irrigation projects
• ₹3,000 crore Kamadhenu Fund for development of animal husbandry and dairy farming infrastructure and ₹1,000 crore fund for expanding veterinary services
• Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Preservation Bill 2012 to be reintroduced
• ₹5,000 crore “Raitha Bandhu Market Intervention Fund” to support farmers during price fluctuations
• Make Kannada a compulsory non-test introductory subject in all universities to help non-Kannada speaking students
• 3 phase power supply for 10 hours for farmers to operate their pumpsets
• Establish a ₹10,000 Crore “Stree Unnati Fund” to set up one of the largest women run co-operatives and establish “Stree Unnati Stores” to market its products
• “Ayushman Karnataka Scheme” to provide poor and vulnerable families a cover of ₹5 Lakh for treatment
• Form “Kittur Rani Chennamma Flying Squads” to attend to distress calls of women in Bengaluru quickly.
• Hyderabad Karnataka Industrial Mega Corridor will be built from Hosapete to Hyd passing through Koppal, Raichur, Yadgir, Kalaburagi and Bidar
• “Annadasoha” Scheme to ensure food security for all

Highlights of the Congress manifesto

• Create one crore jobs, at the rate of at least 15-20 lakh jobs each year in the state
• Provide programmes for skill development, encouraging entrepreneurship and increasing youths' employability quotient,
• Create hut-free Karnataka by building 50 lakh houses in the rural areas
• Build 15 lakh houses (3 lakh houses per year) in urban areas
• Increase the budget allocation for health from the current 0.9% to at least 1.5% for "Arogya Karnataka" universal healthcare scheme which provides free treatment to all below poverty line (BPL) families at government hospitals
• Free education to all students from grades 1 to 12 across all state-run schools
• All girls to get free education up to post-graduation in state-run institutions
• All college-going students in the state will receive a smartphone

Read more about the Congress manifesto here

KS Dakshina Murthy writes: In case of a hung assembly, HD Deve Gowda and HD Kumaraswamy’s party looks likely to ally with the BJP

Tathagata Bhattacharya analyses the strengths and weaknesses of Karnataka’s four mass leaders: Congress Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, BJP CM face BS Yeddyurappa and HD Deve Gowda and HD Kumaraswamy of JD(S)