MYSURU: Campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections is expected to heat up in Old Mysuru region after the festival of Ugadi, and a posse of leaders is expected to descend on the City of Palaces. They will include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Mallikarjuna Kharge and other top brass.
Mega rallies will be held in Maharaja’s College, and top leaders of the I.N.D.I.A and NDA blocs are expected to add vigour, with the BJP-JDS and Congress in the race to take control of Old Mysuru and win maximum seats.
Both BJP candidate Yaduveer Krishnadutta Chamaraja Wadiyar and Congress candidate M Lakshman have completed one round of campaigning in Mysuru city and are reaching other assembly segments of Mysuru-Kodagu constituency.
The BJP and Congress have also planned roadshows. The BJP will hold a rally on April 19, to be addressed by PM Modi, former PM H D Deve Gowda, and former chief ministers HD Kumaraswamy and BS Yediyurappa. The party also plans to bring in Backward Classes leader and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The rally will also send a message of unity and enthuse BJP and JDS workers to work for the victory of BJP candidate Yaduveer on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s home turf.
Siddaramaiah is expected to campaign for three days from April 12 in Mysuru and Chamarajanagar Lok Sabha constituencies, along with Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar. Ministers Satish Jarkiholi and G Parameshwara, KPCC working president Tanveer Sait and others will campaign to consolidate the votes of backward communities, minorities and Dalits. Shivakumar will also hold meetings of Vokkaliga leaders and reach out to the community.
The KPCC has also sought a rally by Rahul Gandhi and I.N.D.I.A leaders in parts of the Chamarajanagar constituency, and Ranjit Singh Surjewala, KC Venugopal and others are expected to campaign.