National

In Pics: From Karnataka Ground Zero

This election season, Karnataka is a cauldron of heated political contests, with a spectrum of issues making the state one where both the INDIA and the NDA look to gain significant political advantage. From marginalised residents of Rottigawad fighting lack of basic amenities and facing discrimination by the Lingayat residents of the village, to the people rising in protest against Prajwal Revanna's sexual abuse allegations, to the nucleus of Hubballi-Dharwad, where religious polarisation stands once again at the forefront, Karnataka is home to numerous electoral questions and eye-opening realities that continue to plague the very grassroots.

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Rottigod Village, Dharwad district of Karnataka
| Photo: Vikram Sharma/Outlook

Village meeting hall with portrait of B R Ambedkar, Rottigod Village, Dharwad district, Karnataka.

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Dharwad, Karnataka
| Photo: Vikram Sharma/Outlook
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Sitting BJP MP and Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Prahlad Joshi's campaigning in rural Dharwad, Karnataka

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Dargah Fateh Ali Shah
| Photo: Vikram Sharma/Outlook
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Congress campaign rally in the old city of Hubli, with the Dargah Fateh Ali Shah in the background

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Congress rally in Hubli City
| Photo: Vikram Sharma/Outlook
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The BJP is looking to recreate its 2019 sweep, when it won all seats, but the Congress is pulling out all stops to make gains in this region. Congress rally, Hubli City.

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demonstration against the killing of Kanhaiya Lal
| Photo: Abhishek Chinnappa/Getty Images
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In this file photo Protestors affiliated with various Hindu organizations wave flags and shout slogans during a demonstration against the killing of Kanhaiya Lal on June 29, 2022 in Bengaluru. The beheading of Kanhaiya Lal, 48, a tailor in the western Indian city of Udaipur by two Muslim men in retaliation for his support of controversial remarks made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) politician Nupur Sharma on the Prophet Muhammad, has sparked religious tension with suspension of internet services and the barring of large gatherings on the streets of the desert city.

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CPI(M) Protest
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CPI(M) Protest against Prajwal Revanna.

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Prajwal Revanna
| Photo: Sonu Mehta/Hindustan Times via Getty Images
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In this file photo Janata Dal (Secular) MP Prajwal Revanna after attending the first budget session of the 17th Lok Sabha, at Parliament House, on June 26, 2019 in New Delhi.

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Prahlad Joshi
| Photo: Vikram Sharma/Outlook
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Sitting BJP MP and Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Prahlad Joshi with a Hindu Seer at Mutt in rural Dharwadi, Karnataka during his campaigning for the upcoming parliamentary elections.

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BJP Election Rally
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Narendra Modi rally

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B R Ambedkar locket
| Photo: Vikram Sharma/Outlook
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A dalit boy wearing a locket depicting B R Ambedkar at Honnapur village, Dharwad.

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Honnapur, Karnataka
| Photo: Vikram Sharma/Outlook
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A farmer at Honnapur, Dharwad

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Rottigod village in Karnataka
| Photo: Vikram Sharma/Outlook
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Rottigod village, Dharwad district, Karnataka