The high-pitched poll campaigning for crucial Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 came to an end at 5 PM on Thursday. The last day of campaigning for Karnataka polls, which is being seen as a prestige battle for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress and Janata Dal-Secular (JDS), witnessed multiple rallies by the political parties. On one hand, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah campaigned for their party and on the other, BJP chief Amit Shah and the party’s chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa participated in a roadshow in Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s Badami constituency.
The campaigning which began soon after the announcement of the poll dates by the Election Commission has witnessed a total of 21 rallies by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The PM addressed four rallies yesterday pitching strongly for Congress’s defeat in Karnataka polls.
Meanwhile, Congress President Rahul Gandhi visited the Dodda Ganapathi Temple in Basavanagudi on Wednesday morning following which he held a roadshow in Bengaluru. Later, he held a Corner Meeting at Russel Market Chowk in Shivaji Nagar and another at HMT Ground in Hebbal. Gandhi had blown Congress’s bugle for Karnataka polls earlier in February this year. 
BJP chief Amit Shah, on the other hand, has held numerous road shows while urging the people to vote BS Yeddyurappa to power. He criticised and strongly condemned the Siddaramaiah government and claimed to remove the Congress from the power in Karnataka.
Apart from PM Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi and Amit Shah, Karnataka election campaign has also seen political heavyweights Sonia Gandhi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath campaign for their respective parties.
The BJP’s left, right and centre campaign for Assembly polls in the state was also looked after by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. During the rallies and the road shows, he asserted that the Congress would meet the same fate in the state as it witnessed in UP under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership.
The JDS, third force in Karnataka political battle, is also leaving no stone unturned to woo voters. Party patriarch HD Dewe Gowda undertook numerous tours urging the people to support the party candidates. Meanwhile, the leaders of the party are confident that it will fare well and the people will accept and support the JDS-BSP coalition.
In total, there are more than 2654 candidates, including 219 women, in the fray for 224 seats in Karnataka. As per the data released by Chief Electoral Office in Karnataka, the BJP will contest all 224 seats, while the Congress will contest 222 seats. The HD Devegowda-led Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) will contest on 201 seats. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) led by Mayawati, which came into an alliance with the JD(S), will contest on 20 seats.
The polling for 223 out of 224 Assembly seats in Karnataka will be held on May 12. The election for one constituency – Jayanagar – has been postponed following the death of BJP candidate BN Vijay Kumar. The results for Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 will be declared on May 15.