The ongoing political battle for Karnataka on Monday saw the Congress taking a slight edge over Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was missing from the campaign for the day.
While Congress President Rahul Gandhi rode a bicycle to highlight fuel price hike in the nation, former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Modi, and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah sent a legal notice to the Prime Minister for calling him "corrupt'.
Taking part in 'Jana Aashirwada Yatre' in Kolar, Gandhi said, "The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government has been looting the poor to fill the wallets of people like Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi and Mehul Choksi. Fuel prices have been at an all-time high, but nothing is being done by the government on this."
Rahul questioned why Prime Minister Modi hadn't mandated the farmer loan waiver, in spite of farmers protesting constantly for four years.
The Congress President also asked former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) to come out clean whether his party would support the BJP or the Congress.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh addressed a press conference in Bengaluru and said no prime minister has stooped so low as Prime Minister Modi.
Singh accused Prime Minister Modi of using language unbecoming of a prime minister and attempting to polarise poll-bound Karnataka.
He also raked up the multi-crore loan default scam that involved celebrity jeweller Nirav Modi and held the Centre responsible for turning a blind eye to it.
The former prime minister said that since Prime Minister Modi has not addressed a single press conference in the last four years itself is a reflection of the state of affairs.
In another major development, Siddaramaiah sent legal notice for criminal and civil defamation to the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party chief Amit Shah and the party chief ministerial candidate B.S. Yeddyurappa, for calling him and his government corrupt.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Modi while addressing a rally in poll-bound Karnataka alleged that the state is a 'seedha-rupaiah sarkar', hinting at Siddaramaiah directly.
The Prime Minister during a public rally on May 3, stated that nothing was possible without bribery in the state.
Addressing an election rally in Chamrajnagar, Karnataka Chief Minister minorities in the country were feeling terrorised under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi.
He also termed Union Minister Ananthkumar Hegde as a 'nalayak' (useless) who is not fit to be a gram panchayat leader and wondered that the BJP has been made a Union Minister.
On the other hand, BJP President Amit Shah, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took charge of the BJP's bid to dethrone Congress government in Karnataka.
Addressing a rally in Nargund, Shah said BJP's Tsunami will uproot the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government.
He also promised once the BJP comes into power, it would distribute Mahadayi's water across the state of Karnataka. as it is the Siddaramaiah government that has kept Mumbai and Karnataka deprived of the water of Mahadayi.
Ravi Shankar Prasad accused the Congress of practicing "pseudo-secular politics" in poll-bound Karnataka, and went on to question the grand-old party's secularism over its objection to the triple talaq bill.
Adityanath, who returned to Karnataka on Monday for assembly election campaigning, took a swipe at Rahul Gandhi and said: "Whenever the nation is facing some kind of crisis, Rahul ji runs away to Italy".
Addressing a rally in Belagavi, Adityanath blamed that Siddaramaiah did not bother to ever pay a visit to families of farmers who committed suicide in Karnataka.
An election will be held in Karnataka on May 12, 2018 in 223 constituencies out of 224 of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. The election for one constituency has been postponed following the death of B.N. Vijay Kumar, Jayanagar BJP candidate. The counting of votes and announcement of result will take place on May 15, 2018.
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