Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had stayed away from Karnataka after his last rally in Davangere on February 27, is back in the State from Tuesday for extensive tours in the last and crucial phase of campaigning for the Assembly elections.
His visit gains significance with the elections expected to be a cliffhanger and various pre-poll surveys predicting a fractured mandate. Since February-end, several central leaders of the BJP have been visiting the State. It was during this period that AICC president Rahul Gandhi held roadshows and rallies in different regions of the State.
Now, Mr. Modi will visit the State for five days between May 1 and 8. He is scheduled to address 15 rallies and public meetings at the rate of three per day. This visit, the political observers said, would also turn out to be a test for his popularity ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Curiously, Mr. Modi is not visiting the high-profile constituencies of Chamundeshwari and Badami from where Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is contesting. But for Santhemarahalli in Chamarajanagar district and Chikkodi in Belagavi district, he is holding rallies only in district centres.
The BJP’s focus on Bengaluru which has 28 Assembly constituencies is evident, with Mr. Modi scheduled to attend two rallies in the city.
While the first rally covering 14 Assembly segments will be held on May 3, the second one covering the remaining 14 seats has been scheduled for May 8. Though he is addressing a rally in Ballari, party sources said there was no chance of him sharing the dais with controversial mining baron and former BJP Minister G. Janardhan Reddy.
However, he would be sharing the dais with Mr. Reddy’s siblings who have been given party ticket to contest the elections.
On Tuesday, Mr. Modi is scheduled to address rallies in Santhemarahalli, Udupi, and Chikkodi. As per the BJP’s plans, these rallies would be attended by people from a cluster of Assembly constituencies around the rally venue.
