Karnataka Polls: Sonia, Yogi, Siddaramaiah to campaign today

Bengaluru (Karnataka) : In the run-up to the Assembly polls in the state of Karnataka, former Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah are scheduled to visit the state for their election campaign, later today.

Adityanath, who is a star campaigner for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for Karnataka polls, is expected to address public meetings in Bhatkal, Byndoor, Mudabidre, Virajpet, and Sullia during the day.

Meanwhile, Sonia Gandhi will address a public meeting at Vijayapura at 03:00 pm.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, on the other hand, will address a gathering in Mysuru, the city whose former ruler Tipu Sultan, has become a political agenda for both the BJP and the Congress.

On a related note, Siddaramaiah ran into controversy when his government celebrated Tipu's birth anniversary last year.Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 6 took a dig at the Congress in a rally in Chitradurga over the same issue, claiming that the party is at the forefront of celebrating jayantis of sultans for vote bank politics.

With the election to the 225-member Karnataka State Assembly edging closer, the state has become a battleground with public rallies being the primary form of warfare.

Both the BJP and Congress have extensively tried to undermine each other in a bid to woo the electorate of the state, as a win in this election is also likely to give an edge for next year's General Elections to the winning party.