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Campaign For Karnataka Ends: Who Has The Edge?

The primary focus this election seemed to have remained on personal attacks.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and BJP Chief Ministerial candidate Yeddyurappa. (Source: PTI) 
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and BJP Chief Ministerial candidate Yeddyurappa. (Source: PTI) 

An aggressive campaign trail in Karnataka has ended with top BJP leaders holding mega road shows and the Congress retaliating to opponent’s jibes.

The major political parties have left no stone unturned to encash votes. Both the BJP and the Congress, who released their manifestos days ahead of the polling dates, traded barbs right up till the end at 5 p.m. yesterday.

While two former and an incumbent chief minister are in the fray, the primary focus this election, however, seemed to have remained on personal attacks with a war of words between both the party leaders dominating the narrative.

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Personal Attacks Dominate

Prime Minister Narendra Modi kicked off his campaign by countering Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s 15-minute debate challenge.

The give and take got personal with Prime Minister Modi taking a jibe at former Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi’s Italian origin, while Congress putting the focus on corruption charges against BJP’s chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa.

The last few weeks also saw the state’s chief ministerial candidates clashing over issues of poor governance and corruption.

Karnataka has a record of not electing the same government again after a five-year term since 1985. As the state goes into polls in less than 24 hours, will Siddaramaiah, the only chief minister who has been able to complete a full term in 40 years, be able to break the jinx? Or BJP will create history again?

Watch Tamanna Inamdar discuss who has an edge in Karnataka elections this time with senior journalist Ratan Mani Lal, Congress spokesperson Sulaiman Mohammad Khan and BJP spokesperson, Srinath Swethadri on Primetime debate.

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