lok-sabha-elections

Updated: Apr 18, 2019 12:51 IST

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday exuded confidence that the Narendra Modi government will be voted back to power in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

“I can see the positive response…We see a very clear mandate for Modiji to form government again,” said Sitharaman after casting her vote at a polling booth in Jayanagar area of Bengaluru South Lok Sabha constituency.

The BJP has fielded a 28-year-old lawyer Tejaswi Surya from the constituency represented previously by late Ananth Kumar. Surya’s candidature was finalised amid speculation that Ananth Kumar’s wife Tejaswini might be named as the party candidate from the seat.

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Sitharaman defended the candidate selection by the BJP for the Lok Sabha elections. She dismissed that there was “tussle” over candidate selection for the Bangalore South seat, where the BJP fielded

“Individual candidates are also our candidates. Good candidates have been chosen by the BJP,” said Sitharaman to a question if the BJP is only banking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi or also depending on local candidates in the Lok Sabha polls.

Karnataka votes in two of the seven phases of the Lok Sabha polls for 28 parliamentary seats. Half of the seats are voting in the second phase on Thursday while the rest 14 will go to the polls on April 23, the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections.