Around 60 political parties fielded candidates in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka. In 2019, the number of parties in the fray had crossed the half-century mark with 56. In 2014, there were 38 parties in the fray in Karnataka.
During the previous Assembly elections, at least eight new political parties had been listed as Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPP) by the Election Commission in the State. While 478 candidates contested in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, 434 contested in the 2014 polls. This year, a total of 474 candidates are contesting.
Parties that pop during polls
Several parties that pop up only during elections are never heard of again. Except for candidates contesting on a ticket from national parties and a few regional parties, it has always been a miserable defeat for those contesting from other parties. However, they enter the fray every time during elections. Many parties that contested last time have disappeared this time.
A total of 60 parties, including national parties such as the BJP, the Congress, the BSP, the CPI, the regional JD(S), and more than 54 RUPPs, have contested in this Lok Sabha elections.
Prominent among the RUPPs are the Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha, the Karunadu Party, the Rani Chenamma Party, the Bharatiya Belaku Party, and the Vichara Jagruti Congress.
While the Congress has contested in 28 constituencies, the BJP has contested in 25 constituencies giving up three seats to the JD(S), its alliance partner. While the BSP has contested in 22 seats, the CPI has entered the fray in one seat. Apart from this, the Karnataka Rajya Samithi (KRS) and Kannada actor Upendra’s Uttama Prajakeeya Paksha have contested in most of the constituencies.
While Bengaluru Central and Davangere have the highest number of candidates from parties at 13 and 12 respectively, Chickballapur has the highest number of Independents at 20.
State has 95 political parties
There are a total of 95 political parties in the State including the five national parties - the BJP, the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party, the BSP, the CPI, and the JD(S), and 89 RUPPs. Of these, around 60 are contesting this time, an official from the Election Commission said.
After April 2023, some political parties including the Bharatiya Praja Ikyata Party, the Country Citizen Party, the Kalyan Karnataka Party, the Kalyan Rajya Pragati Paksha, the Rashtriya Aakrakshaka Manch, the Republic Party of India (Bharat), the Youngster Empowerment Party have registered in Karnataka.
A couple of these parties have also contested the Lok Sabha elections. The Kalyan Rajya Pragati Paksha led by Gali Janardhana Reddy, which was formed during the last Assembly elections, merged with the BJP during the Lok Sabha elections and lost its existence within a year.
