Campaigning in full swing for second phase of Karnataka Assembly polls

Bangalore, May 11 : Campaigning for the second phase of Karnataka Assembly polls is in full swing as ten Districts will go for polls on May 16.

The first phase of Karnataka Assembly polls was held in 11 districts on Saturday covering 89 of the 224 seats, which went off peacefully and recorded 59.8 per cent of voting.

According to an exit poll conducted by a television news channel, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would emerge as the winner with 31 of the 89 seats, and Janata Dal Secular (JDS) will secure 30 seats and Congress will follow with 25 seats.

Former Prime Minister H D Devegowda, his son and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy will be touring parts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada from Sunday.

B S Yeddyurappa, the BJP's chief ministerial candidate, has expressed confidence of his victory by saying that the development works he initiated under the JDS-BJP government as Deputy Chief Minister will coast him to an easy victory.

Other prominent leaders who are in the fray in the second phase include former deputy chief minister M P Prakash who quit JDS and crossed over to the Congress on the eve of election, fighting from Harappanahalli, G Karunakar Reddy, BJP MP, former Minister R V Deshpande of Congress, seeking the mandate for seventh time from Haliyal and Congress Treasurer Shamanur Shivashanakarappa from Davanagere North.

Senior BJP leader K S Eswarappa (Shimoga) and Shakuntala Shetty, BJP rebel in Puttur, who has found support from JDS after her party denied ticket, are other notables in fray.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi would campaign in Koppal and Mangalore on May 13.

The ten districts that will go to polls on May 16 are: Raichur, Koppal, Uttarakannada, Bellary, Chitradurga, Davanagere, Shimoga, Udupi, Chikmagalur and Dakshina Kannada.

ANI