Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address an election rally in Karnataka's Shivamogga on Monday in the first election address in the southern state after the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls on Saturday.
The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders said they expect 2.5 lakh people to attend the rally which is scheduled to begin at 2 pm at the Allama Prabhu ground in Shivamogga, the hometown of former Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa.
Incidentally, the karnataka BJP looks a divided house after differences cropped up between Yeddyurappa and former Karnataka deputy chief minister KS Eshwarappa. The latter has decided not to attend the public gathering, remaining adamant.
Meanwhile, BJP state chief BY Vijayendra, the second son of former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, took stock of party's preparedness to welcome PM Modi at the Allama Prabhu ground.
Eshwarappa's anger was triggered over denial of the BJP to give ticket to his son KE Kantesh, prompting him to contest the Lok Sabha elections independently from the Shivamogga constituency.
Instead, BJP fielded BY Raghavendra, the elder son of Yediyurappa, from the constituency. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP, along with an independent candidate, secured victory in 26 constituencies,. On the other hand, Congress-JD(S) coalition won remaining two seats.
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