Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address an election rally in Shivamogga, Karnataka, marking his first rally in the southern state since the Election Commission of India (ECI) unveiled the schedule for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls on Saturday.
Leaders from Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) anticipate a massive turnout of approximately 2.5 lakh people for the event. Scheduled to commence at 2 pm at the Allama Prabhu ground in Shivamogga, the rally holds significance as it takes place in the hometown district of former Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa, a key figure in the state’s political landscape.
However, the BJP faces a challenge as senior leader and former Karnataka deputy chief minister KS Eshwarappa has decided not to participate in the public gathering. Despite efforts by the BJP to persuade him, Eshwarappa remains resolute in his decision, apparently disgruntled over the party’s failure to nominate his son, KE Kantesh. Eshwarappa himself will contest the Lok Sabha polls from the Shivamogga constituency, where the BJP has fielded BY Raghavendra, the elder son of Yediyurappa.
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Expressing his discontent, Eshwarappa criticized the BJP for what he perceives as a trend toward family dominance within the party, akin to the ruling Congress. He emphasized the need for Modi’s re-election and advocated for the BJP’s independence from the influence of the Yediyurappa family.
Karnataka holds significant weight in the Lok Sabha elections, accounting for 28 seats out of the 543-member parliament. In the previous 2019 national polls, the BJP, in alliance with an independent candidate, secured victory in 26 constituencies, while the Congress-JD(S) alliance won the remaining two seats.
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The 2024 Lok Sabha elections are slated to be conducted in seven phases, commencing on April 19 and concluding on June 1. Vote counting for all 543 seats will take place on June 4.
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