Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing four rallies in poll-bound Karnataka on Saturday as part of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) campaign. This is the PM’s third visit to the state since 1 May.
The PM began with a public meeting at 11 am in Ligayat-dominated Tumakuru district, which is just north of Bengaluru. Among those who are contesting on a BJP ticket from the assembly seats in the district are GB Jyothi Ganesh from Tumkur (city) and B Suresh Gowda from Tumkur (rural).
At 2 pm, the PM is scheduled to address a rally in Gadag, located 390 km from Bengaluru. Anil Mensinakai is the BJP candidate contesting from Gadag assembly seat.
PM Modi will then proceed to a public meeting in the significant Shivamogga (Shimoga) district scheduled for 4 pm. BJP’s CM candidate BS Yeddyurappa is a sitting Member of Parliament from Shivamogga and is contesting for the Karnataka assembly elections from Shikaripura constituency in the district.
KS Eshwarappa, leader of the opposition in the Karnataka assembly and former deputy CM for a brief period of the BJP reign, is contesting from the Shimoga assembly constituency.
The politically-sensitive district is also the home of Kuvempu, one of Karnataka’s greatest poets. The PM as well as BJP president Amit Shah have often quoted from the Jnanpith awardee’s works to charge the Congress over “anti-farmer and communal” policies.
Shah had in March said that Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s politics is a disservice to Kuvempu’s dream of building a great Karnataka.
After addressing supporters at Shivamogga, the PM wrap up the day at coastal district of Mangaluru with a public meeting scheduled for 6.30 pm.
Dr Bharath Shetty Y, D Vedavyasa Kamath, and Santhosh Kumar Rai Boliyaru are three of the contestants from three seats in Mangalore. The district has been a Congress stronghold for long.