K'taka polls: Campaigning to end today, Maha CM Shindhe & Priyanka to hold roadshows

Bengaluru, May 8 (IANS) The curtains for election campaigning in Karnataka will come down on Monday. Public rallies, meetings, functions and use of loudspeakers are prohibited after 5 p.m.

Karnataka Congress President D.K. Shivakumar is campaigning for the first time in his Kanakapura constituency on Monday. He will address a public rally at 3 p.m. in the town. BJP has fielded Minister for Revenue R. Ashoka  here and hopes to challenge Shivakumar.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will hold roadshows at Chickpet and Vijayanagar constituencies in Bengaluru from 10.30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 11.45 a.m. to 1.15 p.m. respectively. She will leave for New Delhi from HAL airport at 1.45 p.m.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge will address two public rallies in Kalaburagi and Ballary on the last day of campaigning. BJP Karnataka President Nalin Kumar Kateel will address a public meeting in Belthangady town in Dakshina Kannada district.

Union Minister L. Murugan will address a public rally at Chamarajpet in Bengaluru. Union Minister V.K. Singh will participate in a series of interaction programmes in various locations of Bengaluru.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shindhe will visit Dharmasthala Manjunatha temple in Dakshina Kannada district and Sri Krishna temple in Udupi. He will hold roadshows in Udupi city and Kapu constituency in Udupi district.

The candidates are allowed to carry out the door-to-door campaigning with six persons for the next two days. The voting is scheduled to be held on May 10. The prohibition is clamped on sale of liquor from 6 p.m. today till 6 a.m. of May 11.

The Election Commission has given directions to the owners of liquor shops to observe dry days on May 8 (6 p.m. onward), May 9 and 10. The Election Commission has also clamped prohibition on sale of liquor from 6 a.m. of May 13 to 6 a.m. of May 14. The counting of votes will be taken up on May 13.

The outsiders are not allowed to stay in the constituencies other than the candidates. The star campaigners, leaders will have to leave the constituencies after public campaigning ends. The candidates are allowed to take up door-to-door campaigning till Tuesday 6 p.m.        

--IANS

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