New Delhi, March 27: The Election Commission has announced the dates for the Karnataka assembly elections 2018. The state of Karnata will go to polls on May 12, 2018. The counting of the votes will be done on May 15, 2018. The election will be a single phase. The Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat, responding to a question on whether the Election Commission would take any action against BJP's IT Cell chief Amit Malviya, responded saying that the EC would look into the matter. BJP's Amit Malviya had tweeted the date of the Karnataka Elections in a tweet even before the EC declared them today. However, he ended up getting the dates wrong.

Questions were raised by journalists as soon as the Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat announced the date for polls. Questions were raised as to how the leader of a political party could predict and put information in public which is supposed to be confidential until announced. Amit Malviya deleted the tweet later.

“We will find out what happened and a full investigation will be launched. Let us not speculate on what they have,” Rawat said. He further said that, “Certain things may have leaked for which Election Commission will take appropriate action. It will be investigated. Be assured that actions legally and administratively befitting will be taken.” Commissioner OP Rawat also said that a news channel was showing the dates of Karnataka Elections and that Amit Malaviya had got the dates from there.

The Indian National Congress (INC) which is in power in the state, is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that they retain Karnataka as it is one of the three states that Congress is in power. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has already played the Lingayat card. The BJP has also been preparing the ground for Karnataka election and had sent Yogi Adityanath to the state of Karnataka to campaign for the party. BJP President Amit Shah has already been making rounds of the state and held a press conference immediately after the EC's declaration of poll dates. The 224 member Karnataka assembly will go to polls on 12 May, 2018 and counting for the same will be held on 15 May, 2018.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 27, 2018 12:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).