Campaigning for 2nd phase of poll gains momentum in Karna

Sun, May 11 11:50 AM

Bangalore, May 11 (PTI) With the completion of first phase of elections to the Karnataka Assembly covering 89 of the 224 seats, electioneering in ten districts which go to polls in the second phase on May 16 is gaining momentum. In the first phase held yesterday, voting in 11 districts, including the home turf of former prime minister H D Devegowda and Congress strongman S M Krishna, passed off peacefully with a modest 59.

8 polling. An exit poll by NDTV television news channel has given the edge to BJP, saying it would emerge on top with 31 of the 89 seats, followed closely by JDS (30) and Congress (25).

Gowda, his son and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy will be touring parts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada from today. Krishna has drawn up a hectic schedule for himself in the districts that go to voting in the second phase and would be concentrating on Shimoga, where former minister Kumar Bangarappa is fighting his brother Madhu in Soraba and in coastal districts where the BJP wields sizable influence.

BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa and its state unit chief D V Sadananda Gowda are also campaigning in these districts. Yeddyurappa, fighting an important election of his political career taking on Samajwadi Party leader S Bangarappa, who has the backing of Congress and JDS, would be concentrating on his Shikaripura constituency.

A war of words has already started between the two leaders, locked in a titanic poll clash, with Yeddyurappa vowing to ensure that Bangarappa forfeited his deposit and the SP leader, declaring that he would humble the saffron party leader. PTI.

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