Bengaluru, Apr 25:
Public campaigning for the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka concluded at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, with the elections set to take place on Friday.
The spotlight has been on the high-decibel campaigning in Mysuru and Mandya constituencies, where Mysuru royalist and BJP candidate Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar and former Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy are competing.
In addition to Mysuru and Mandya, campaigning also wrapped up in several other constituencies including Udupi-Chikmagalur, Dakshina Kannada, Chitradurga, Tumkur, Bangalore Rural, Bangalore North, Bangalore Central, Bangalore South, and Chikkballapur.
Over the past month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have led the campaign for the BJP, holding rallies and roadshows. BJP President JP Nadda, Union Ministers, and Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant also actively participated, amplifying the party’s message.
For the Congress party, the campaign was led by Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra, M Mallikarjun Kharge, and other prominent leaders.
Polling is scheduled to take place from 7 am to 6 pm on Friday. Elaborate arrangements have been made by the district administrations to ensure a smooth and orderly polling process.
The Congress is contesting in all 14 seats, BJP has fielded nominees in 11, and its alliance partner JDS in three – Hassan, Mandya and Kolar.
Congress Candidate M Lakshmana held a roadshow in Mysuru, accompanied by AAP State President ‘Mukhyamantri’ Chandru. They campaigned in various locations, highlighting the election as a battle between the commoner and the royal.
BJP’s Wadiyar engaged with traders and vendors at the M.G. Road vegetable market in Mysuru, distributing pamphlets showcasing the achievements of the Modi government.
HD Kumaraswamy led a roadshow in Mandya, joined by his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy and JDS leaders. Actor Darshan Toogudeepa campaigned for Congress candidate ‘Star’ Chandru in Mandya, lending significant support.
Sunil Bose of Congress and S Balaraj of BJP in Chamarajanagar made a final push to connect with voters ahead of polling day.
Kumaraswamy’s brother-in-law and cardiologist C.N. Manjunath from Bangalore Rural on a BJP ticket, and Karnataka Congress president D.K. Shivakumar’s brother and MP D.K. Suresh from Bangalore Rural, also campaigned vigorously in their respective constituencies.
With the conclusion of campaigning, attention now turns to polling day to determine the outcome of these crucial Lok Sabha constituencies.Karnataka has a total of 28 Lok Sabha constituencies
