Karnataka polls: Modi begins campaign trail in Udupi today; Chamarajanagara, Belagavi also on day's agenda

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to hit the campaign trail in the state from Tuesday, with rallies scheduled in Santhemarahalli , Udupi and Chikkodi on the first day. With opinion polls predicting a tight race in Karnataka, Modi is expected to address more than a dozen rallies in five days in the state. This will be Modi’s first visit to the southern state since the Assembly election dates were announced. According to The Times of India, the prime minister will kickstart his election campaign from Chamarajanagar district, where he will address a public rally in Santhemaranahalli at 11.30 am. [caption id=“attachment_4441731” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. AP[/caption] Following the public rally in Santhemaranahalli, Modi will head to Udupi, visit Krishna Mutt and seek blessings of the Pejawar seer before addressing another rally at AGM College Ground in Udupi at 3 pm. Later, the prime minister will travel to Chikkodi, where he will hold another rally. The Indian Express reported that a tentative schedule has been drawn up for 15 rallies. However, owing to Modi’s tight official work schedule, he is likely to spend less time at each place compared to his election rallies in the past. According to the tentative schedule prepared by the PMO, Modi is also expected to address rallies in Gulbarga, Ballari, and Bengaluru on 3 May. On 5 May, Modi is scheduled to visit Tumkur, Shivamogga, and Hubbali. He is expected to be in Raichur, Chitradurga, and Kolar on 7 May, according to the tentative schedule. On 8 May, two days before campaigning comes to an end in the state, the prime minister may address public rallies in Vijayapura, Mangaluru, and Bengaluru, the report quoted party leaders as saying. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is making all-out efforts to oust the Siddaramaiah dispensation from power in Karnataka, the only big state the Congress governs. Opinion polls have so far forecast a close fight between the two parties and BJP believes that Modi’s whirlwind campaign in the final days before the polls can tilt the scale in its favour. The party’s president Amit Shah has been frequenting the state for months, holding rallies, meeting religious heads, addressing community events and toning up organisational machinery in the run-up to the election. The party had earlier announced BS Yeddyurappa to be its chief ministerial candidate. With inputs from PTI