KOLKATA: Ahead of the May 10 Karnataka Assembly elections, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday appealed to people not to vote for the ruling BJP in the state.
“My only appeal to brothers and sisters in Karnataka is that please vote for stability and development. I appeal that please do not vote for BJP. They are dangerous,” Mamata said.
Notably, Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress and BJP are at loggerheads with the latter making inroads in West Bengal.
The 224-seat Karnataka assembly will go to polls on May 10 and the counting of votes will take place on May 13. The majority mark to form the government is 113 seats.
The high-voltage campaign for the May 10 Assembly elections in Karnataka came to an end on Monday as all three major political parties in the state — BJP, Congress and Janata Dal-Secular – have the last chance to woo the voters.
The BJP is eyeing a second term in the state and has exuded confidence in retaining power with a full majority.
Significantly, Karnataka is the only state in the South where BJP is in power.
With top leadership including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah campaigning for the party, BJP put all its might to charm the voters.
The Congress on the other hand worked hard to wrest power from the BJP that is striving to break the 38-year-old pattern of alternating governments and retain its power in the state.
Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, held various roadshows, rallies and elections campaigns.
With the war of words between top guns of all the major political parties, the campaigns of the election of the southern citadel saw allegations and accusations flying thick and fast. Several issues of the state were promised to be solved.
However, the issue of Bajrang Dal, which was mentioned in the Congress manifesto, took centre stage in the political campaigning.
The Congress party last week in its manifesto for the May 10 elections said it will take “decisive action” as per law including banning organisations like Bajrang Dal, the Popular Front of India and others.
The Congress manifesto said the party is committed to taking firm and decisive action against individuals and organisations spreading hatred among communities on grounds of caste and religion.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at the Opposition over the issue, saying, “The Congress has become a slave of appeasement and vote-bank politics.”
Addressing an election rally in Tumakuru, Prime Minister Modi said, “Congress has now started objecting to saying Jai Bajrangbali. Congress has become a slave to appeasement and vote-bank politics. Congress can never work for the welfare of Karnataka. It can never develop Karnataka.”PM Modi wrapped up his two-day mega roadshow on Sunday with a stretch of 10 km roadshow in Bengaluru on Sunday.
As part of Congress campaigning for the elections, Rahul Gandhi, who is on a visit to Karnataka to campaign for his party, held an interaction with gig workers and delivery partners of app-based delivery services in Bengaluru on Sunday.
The former Lok Sabha MP interacted with delivery workers at a hotel in Bengaluru. (ANI)