PM Narendra Modi to visit Karnataka today, to address mega rally at Davangere

Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a visit to poll-bound Karnataka on Saturday -- his seventh this year -- during which he will take part in various official events and address a mega public meet organised by the BJP. The Election Commission is expected to announce the poll schedule for Assembly elections, due by May, in the next few days.

Modi will inaugurate 'Sri Madhusudan Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research' at Chikkaballapur, and later he will inaugurate Whitefield (Kadugodi) to Krishnarajapura Metro Line of Bangalore Metro and also undertake a ride in the train.

He will then proceed to the district headquarters town of Davangere and address a public meeting, to mark the culmination of BJP's 'Vijay SankaplaYatre'.

According to BJP sources, this is said to be the first party meeting which the PM will be attending, since the poll preparations began in Karnataka.

A total of 10 lakh people are expected to participate in the rally, Davangere BJP MP G M Siddeshwar said and added that about three lakh people will participate from Davangere district alone.

Davangere is already dotted with saffron hues and the pandal has been erected in 400 acres of land next to GMIT College. Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah's 75th birthday bash was also held at Davangere, which is in the central part of the state, in August last year, which was attended by a large crowd.Following that large scale event, pressure has been mounting on the BJP by its local leaders to organise an even bigger public meet in the region, ahead of Assembly polls, according to sources.