Karnataka Polls: BJP, Congress Showdown Today As Amit Shah, Rahul Gandhi, Nadda Set To Hold Rallies

As the Karnataka polls draw near, the ruling BJP is going all out to retain power in the state where the principal opposition Cong is vying to unseat it even as the JD(S) remains an important player.

The political parties are amping up their election campaigns as the Karnataka polls draw near. The ruling BJP is going all out to retain power in the state where the principal opposition Congress is vying to unseat it even as the JD(S) remains an important player with just weeks to go for polling. On the second day of his two-day visit to poll-bound Karnataka, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will have an interaction with sugarcane farmers and youth, and later address a public meeting in the state on Monday. On the other hand, in his latest round of electioneering in the poll-bound state, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J P Nadda will take part in separate roadshows in the southern part of the state on Monday. 

Rahul Gandhi To Interact With Sugarcane Farmers, Address Public Meeting

At 2 pm, Rahul Gandhi will take part in an interaction with sugarcane farmers at Ramdurg in Belagavi district. He will then leave for Gadag to take part in 'Yuva Samvaad' (interaction with youth). The former Congress chief will then be in Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai's neighbouring constituency of Hangal in the Haveri district where he will be addressing a public meeting in the evening, as reported by the news agency PTI. Bommai is contesting from Shiggaon segment in the district. He will then leave for Hubballi to board a flight back to Delhi.

Gandhi, who arrive in Karnataka on Sunday, had paid obeisance to 12th-century poet and social reformer Basaveshwara at his resting place in Kudala Sangama, on the occasion of his birth anniversary that is observed as 'Basava Jayanti' in the state. He then travelled to Vijayapura where he held a massive roadshow and addressed a public meeting.

Amit Shah, J P Nadda To Hold Roadshows In Southern Karnataka

Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J P Nadda will take part in separate roadshows in the southern part of the state on Monday. Shah arrived in Bengaluru on Sunday night. According to the itinerary shared by the BJP, Shah will fly to Mysuru to pay his obeisance at the renowned Chamundeshwari Temple, as reported by PTI. He will then take a helicopter ride from Mysuru to Gundlupet in Chamarajanagar district, and lead a roadshow from 1 pm to 2 pm.

The Home Minister will then fly to Sakaleshpura where he will take out another roadshow to boost party cadres from 3 pm to 4 pm. After heading back to Mysuru, he will fly in a special aircraft to Hubballi in northern Karnataka in the evening. The BJP leader will hold an Election Working Committee meeting with party leaders at a luxury hotel in Hubballi where he will be staying for the night.

Meanwhile, BJP president J P Nadda will reach Bengaluru by a special flight in the afternoon from where he will then take a helicopter ride to Sidlaghatta in Chikkaballapur district.

Nadda will take part in a roadshow in Sidlaghatta for an hour from 2.30 pm to 3.30 pm. He will then go to Hoskote in Bengaluru Rural district to participate in another roadshow from 4.30 pm to 5.30 pm, as reported by PTI. In the evening, Nadda will participate in a party meeting at Devanahalli in Bengaluru Rural district where he will discuss the status of poll preparations in Hoskote, Devanahalli, Doddaballapur and Nelamangala assembly constituencies. After having dinner, Nadda will return to Delhi by special aircraft.