PM Modi to kick off campaign on May 1
The party said Mr Modi would visit the state on alternate days and address not less than three rallies during each visit.
BENGALURU: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch his whirlwind campaign on May 1, addressing rallies in three different districts on that day.
Sources in state unit of BJP said he would address the first rally at Santemaralli in Chamarajanagar district followed a visit to Udupi to seek the blessings of seers in Lord Krishna's temple, and address a rally in the temple town before heli-hopping to address the third rally in Chikkodi.
The party said Mr Modi would visit the state on alternate days and address not less than three rallies during each visit.
Sources said due to paucity of time, state unit president B.S. Yeddyurappa might not attend every rally that Mr Modi would address. "He will accompany Mr Modi in a few rallies. Mr Yeddyurappa would campaign in areas where Mr Modi and Mr Shah are not scheduled to visit. This is how, the party would try to cover the entire state," sources added.
Ramalinga: Phones of Cong leaders tapped
Karnataka Home Minister" Ramalinga Reddy today claimed that phone calls of Congress leaders were being tapped to get details of their strategies for the May 12 assembly polls and blamed BJP president Amit Shah for it. Mr Reddy claimed it has been on for the past three months. " " " "... for the past fortnight, the tapping is happening for almost 18 hours a day. There are teams from Gujarat, Jaipur and Delhi involved in the activity and boys associated with BJP and its affiliated organisations are working in these teams from Karnataka," he said.
Blaming Mr Shah for the phone tapping, the minister claimed that the teams were tasked with "recording the conversation and then translating it in Hindi or English. The minister alleged that the plan was to use the conversation to defame them and accused the Centre of trying every strategy to"trouble the Congress leaders in Karnataka.
Mr Reddy also alleged that while phone tapping was in progress on the one"hand, the Centre has been using the Income Tax department to"intimidate Congress leaders and their supporters. " " "There is nothing wrong in raiding those who are evading"taxes but when people like Congress MLA and candidate from"Anekal B Shivanna are targetted, it becomes even more evident that the centre was trying to harass them. " " " "What did the I-T sleuths get from the raids on" Shivanna's premises? A mere Rs 4.75 lakh. I-T has been used to "intimidate Congress leaders and their supporters," Mr Reddy said.