BENGALURU: The high-voltage public campaigning for one of the most fiercely fought Assembly elections ended with a bang on Monday evening. Soon after that, candidates and their supporters started door-to-door campaigning. With parties expected to use allurements to woo voters 24-48 hours before voting, authorities are keeping a strict vigil against any violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
On the last day of public campaigning, leaders from all parties went a whole hog addressing rallies and roadshows and playing the emotional card to woo voters. AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge told voters in Kalaburagi that defeating any Congress candidate is like defeating him, while his party state unit president DK Shivakumar asked the people of Ramanagara district to give him an opportunity to become CM.
On its part, BJP and JDS tried to give a hard push at the last moment. JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda, who was in his home district Hassan, asked voters to re-elect his son HD Revanna to serve the people as minister. A massive roadshow was held in Channapatna where former CM HD Kumaraswamy played the emotional card stating that he will serve the people of the constituency until his last breath. He reached out to voters saying they should treat him like their son. Along with Deve Gowda, Kumaraswamy campaigned for his son Nikhil in Ramanagara.
CM Bommai, who was in his constituency Shiggaon, appealed to voters to support BJP to give a stable government. PM Modi, who addressed 19 rallies and held six roadshows, ended his campaign on Sunday. Former AICC president Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi too campaigned till the last minute.