Karnataka Polls 2018: What to expect as PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi wrap up campaign with rallies, temple visits this week

With just two days to go for the polling in Karnataka, the intense campaign has reached its climax in the state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s national president Amit Shah are expected to hold multiple public meetings, visit temples and hold roadshows across the southern state.

The Election Commission (EC) rules mandate that the poll campaign ends 48 hours before the polling closes. This implies Thursday is officially the last day to campaign in the poll-bound state. The voting will take place on May 12, while the counting is scheduled for May 15.

Here’s where the prime minister, Congress president and the BJP’s national president are expected to campaign on Wednesday.

PM Narendra Modi

The prime minister is scheduled to hold four public meeting on Wednesday. The first rally of the day will take place at around 10:30 am in Bangarapet. In 2013, the Congress had beaten BJP by more than 28,000 votes in the constituency.

At 1:30 pm, the prime minister will address a public meeting at Chikmagalur before proceeding to Belagavi for a rally at 4:30 pm. Chikmagalur is one of the eight seats in the Udupi Chikmagalur Lok Sabha constituency where Shobha Karandlaje, a BS Yeddyurappa aide and former state minister, is the current Member of Parliament.

Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had contested and won the 1978 general election from the Chikmagalur seat in 1978.

Congress is expected to face a serious challenge in Belagavi, which borders Maharashtra. Similar to the Reddy brothers of Ballari, the Jarkiholi brothers have their influence in the district. Two of the brothers are facing stiff competition from rebel leaders. BJP aims to capitalise this in Belagavi.

The prime minister will hold his final rally in Bidar at 7:30 pm, days after Congress President Rahul Gandhi campaigned there. In Bidar seat, BS Yeddyurappa-led Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) had trumped the Congress. Ashok Kheny of the Karnataka Makkala Paksha (KMP) had won the Bidar (South) constituency in 2013. However, in March this year, Kheny joined the Congress who had finished fifth in the seat five years ago.

Rahul Gandhi

The Congress president will be spending the entire day campaigning in the state capital of Bengaluru. At 10:30 am, Gandhi is expected to visit the Dodda Ganapathi Temple in Chickpet before interacting with women workers at a garment factory at Hosur road around 11:30 am.

Gandhi will hold his first rally of the day at 1:00 pm in Shivaji Nagar constituency in the city before Anjaneya Temple at 3:30 pm. The Congress president is also likely to make a short speech there before holding a rally at around 5:15 pm in Hebbal.

Amit Shah

Bharatiya Janata Party’s national president will be holding six roadshows in parts of the state on Wednesday. At 10:30 and noon, Shah will hold roadshows in Tumkur rural constituency and Kunigal constituencies in Tumkur district. Then, he will hold roadshows every hour, 3:00 pm onwards in various constituencies within Bengaluru city.

While there are no rallies scheduled on Wednesday, PM Modi is expected to interact with BJP's SC/ST unit workers from the state on Thursday at 10 am via the Narendra Modi app. Earlier during the campaign, PM Modi had interacted with Karnataka BJP’s Yuva Morcha Karyakartas and Mahila Morcha Karyakartas using the app.