Karnataka Poll Campaigning Ends, PM Modi Held The Most Number Of Rallies Among Top BJP Leaders

With only two days until the election, BJP had gone all-in to use PM Modi as a last-ditch effort to keep power in what is expected to be a closely contested election.

The Karnataka election campaign came to an end on Monday (May 8). Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Former Congress General Secretary Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi have all campaigned in the poll-bound state. Apart from national political leaders, Karnataka saw campaigning from various state chief ministers such as Assam's Himanta Biswa Sarma, Uttar Pradesh's Yogi Adityanath, and Madhya Pradesh's Shivraj Singh Chouhan. 

Karnataka goes to polls on May 10. The counting of votes will take place on May 13.

PM MODI HELD 19 RALLIES, 6 ROADSHOWS:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi alone held 19 election rallies and 6 roadshows across Karnataka during the campaigning season. PM Modi also held a shorter roadshow on Sunday, on a different route the day after a three-hour roadshow in Bengaluru. With only two days until the election, the party had gone all-in on leveraging the PM for one last push to retain power in what is expected to be a closely contested election.

Apart from the prime minister, BJP President JP Nadda addressed 10 public rallies and 16 roadshows, while Amit Shah attended 16 gatherings and 15 roadshows. Union Minister Smriti Irani attended 17 meetings and two roadshows, Rajnath Singh attended four meetings, Nitin Gadkari three, and Nirmala Sitharaman addressed eight election gatherings. 

Himanta Biswa Sharma held 15 rallies during the campaign and one road show. Yogi Adityanath held nine meetings as well as three road shows. Shivraj Singh Chouhan spoke at six election rallies.

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This election season, like any other in the country, was filled with far too many jabs. With PM Modi's "Congress Has Absued Me 91 Times" statement and Priyanka Gandhi's "Mere Bhai Se Seekho" response, the election season in poll-bound Karnataka has remained a war of words between the BJP and the Congress. 

The "DNA Barb" between Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar and Assam chief minister Himata Biswa Sarma was the most recent in a series of verbal spats. 

Former Congress General Secretary Sonia Gandhi obliged the party after about five to six years. Sonia had previously addressed three rallies in May 2016.