BENGALURU: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who was forced to cut short his Karnataka visit due to deaths and destruction in Uttar Pradesh caused by a severe dust storm, will hit the campaign trail in the poll-bound southern state on Wednesday.
The BJP leader will begin his day by participating in a public meeting at the Rattihalli Ground, Hirekeruru constituency followed by another public meeting at Kandebaguru Ground
Ranebennuru Constituency.
According to reports, the firebrand BJP leader, who has also been named as one of the party's star campaigners, has back-to-back public meetings lined up in various parts of Karnataka.
If BJP sources are to be believed then, the party may further extend Adityanath’s stay in the poll-bound state till Thursday as the BJP pulls out all stops to regain power in Karnataka.
Accordingly, the UP Chief Minister is expected to campaign in Karnataka till May 10, the last day of the campaign before polling on May 12.
Adityanath began his Karnataka campaign on Monday with a visit to a Mutt and meeting with saints in Bhalki in Bidar district soon after landing there in a special plane. After attending his first public meeting in Bidar, Adityanath visited the famous Veerabhadrahwara temple in Humanabad, a popular pilgrimage center.
Veerbhadra, as per a Hindu belief, was created by an angry Shiva to destroy the yagna of King Daksha after his wife ‘Sati’, upset over Shiva’s humiliation by her father Daksha, had immolated herself. Veerbhadra has a great following in the South and Yogi’s temple visit was planned keeping in view the party's Hindutva appeal.
RP Singh, the BJP co-in-charge of national programmes and meetings, had earlier said that Yogi Adityanath, on an average, would have about 5 public meetings lined up for the next few days.
He also has several public meetings lined up in Dakshin Kannada and Uttara Kannada that have several spiritual and pilgrimage centres, he added.
The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister has been engaged in a bitter war of words with his Karnataka counterpart Siddaramaiah who had criticised the former for remaining in Karnataka even after his own state was hit by the storm.
The calamity forced the UP CM to fly out of Karnataka on May 4 while his original plan was to stay on till May 6.
On the question of UP Chief Minister campaigning extensively in Karnataka, BJP chief Amit Shah had told Zee News that not just Yogi Adityanath, the CMs from other BJP-ruled states including Shivraj Singh Chauhan (MP) and Raman Singh (Chhattisgarh) too have campaigned in the state. ''It all depends on how much time each can give. Adityanath is not the only CM to have come to Karnataka,'' Shah said.
Here is Yogi Aditynath's schedule of public programs in Karnataka today
-Event 1: Participate in Public Meeting at Rattihalli Ground
Hirekeruru Constituency, Time: 10:30 am
-Event 2: Participate in Public Meeting at Kandebaguru Ground
Ranebennuru Const, Time: 12 pm
-Event 3: Participate in Public Meeting at Municipal High School Ground, Hospet Vijayanagar Constituency, Time: 1:50 pm
-Event 4: Participate in Public Meeting at Ground next to Jaybharathi
School Attibele, Anekal Constituency, Time: 4:30 pm
-Event 5: Participate in Public Meeting at the ground behind Ganesha temple
Sahakarnagar, Time: 6 pm
