Modi to address 20 rallies in K'taka ahead of polls

Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address a total of 20 public rallies in a span of 30 days in the poll-bound state of Karnataka ahead of the Assembly elections scheduled to be held on May 10, a BJP source said on Tuesday.

The source said that the Prime Minister's "first round of visits" ahead of the announcement of the Assembly election date helped the party gain "some momentum".

"His public rallies and road shows attracted a large number of people, and also helped the party," the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) source said.

The Prime Minister will be visiting Karnataka for the seventh time on April 9 on the occasion of the completion of 50 years of Tiger project.

The opposition Congress leaders, however, have dubbed PM Modi "a poll agent" for his "too many visits to Karnataka". On this, the BJP source said that Modi's "visits have been successful in tilting the wave towards the saffron party and beating the anti-incumbency factor".

However, the arrest of BJP legislator Madal Virupakshappa in connection with a bribery case has come as a blow to the party. Union Home Minister Amit Shah's public rally venue was changed from Davanagere district for the same reason.

Another source said that the party, in a bid to put that episode behind, wants to launch a high-voltage campaign ahead of the polls. According to a party insider, PM Modi is expected to address 20 public rallies in a span of one month.The Prime Minister's rallies would also focus on constituencies where the Congress and the Janata Dal-Secular are "strong", BJP sources said.