BENGALURU: The two-month-long high-energy public campaigning for Lok Sabha elections across Karnataka - which is going to polls in two phases, 14 seats voted on April 26 and a like number will do so on May 7 - ended on Sunday evening with mikes and speakers falling into the snooze mode.
On the last day of outdoor campaigning, Congress leaders Randeep Singh Surjewala, CM Siddaramaiah and deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar in Belagavi attacked the BJP-JD(S) alliance, while former chief minister BS Yediyurappa exuded confidence of winning all 28 seats at stake in Karnataka.
The rising political temperature is matched only by a non-stop march of the mercury, which is breaching the early-40 mark in most districts voting on the morrow. All eyes are on the turnout with 2.6 crore voters listed on the rolls.
While Yediyurappa stayed back in Shimoga to ensure his son, BY Raghavendra, does not leave any stone unturned to retain the seat amid stiff challenges by rebel candidate KS Eshwarappa and Geetha Shivrajkumar of Congress, Mysore and Bangalore South BJP MP candidates Yaduveer Srikanta Datta Wadiyar and Tejasvi Surya, respectively, campaigned in Hospet, Ballari and Koppal.
While Siddaramaiah campaigned for Prabha Mallikarjun in Davangere constituency, Shivakumar left for Pune to attend a special puja. For the second phase of polling in Karnataka where BJP had won 14/14 in 2019, PM Modi addressed five rallies in two days in a whirlwind tour, Union home minister Amit Shah held a roadshow in Haveri Lok Sabha segment and a public rally in Dharwad seat, and BJP national president JP Nadda made his presence felt once in Karnataka during the last one week by visiting the Haveri for candidate Basavaraj Bommai.
AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge pitched tent on his home turf of Gulbarga and campaigned extensively till the dying hours of Sunday for his sonin-law and party candidate Radhakrishna Doddamani. Former AICC president Rahul Gandhi and his sister and AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra campaigned twice each for the second phase. While Rahul campaigned in Shimoga and Raichur, Priyanka addressed gatherings in Haveri and Davanagere, taking the fight to the BJP’s camp.
Their campaigns revolved around the Neha Hiremath murder and alleged Prajwal Revanna sex scandal, laced with accusations of hurting the sentiments of people with redistribution of wealth and abolition of reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs. The campaigns also saw BJP talking of deteriorating law and order under the Congress government in the state and minority appeasement politics, while the Congress hit back at the saffron party on price rise, unemployment and corruption.
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