With the Lok Sabha polls round the corner, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is focusing on southern states where he will be campaigning extensively, starting March 15. The Bharatiya Janata Party considers Karnataka to be the gateway to the South. And amid the sounds of rebellion after BJP released its first list of 20 Lok Sabha candidates in Karnataka, PM Modi will kickstart its poll campaign from the state.
Beginning March 15, PM Modi will, reportedly, reach Karnataka and address mass gatherings on March 16 and 18. Till March 19, he is expected to tour across the southern states— Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
"Each day, the PM will travel to three to four states, covering one place in each state,” said a source from the BJP.
The itinerary in Karnataka is still not confirmed. However, sources claim that he is trying to cover 10 to 12 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state.
A source from the BJP said: “This will be PM Modi’s first visit for a poll campaign. BJP leadership is looking to increase their vote base in the South, to reach the target of 400. The party is hoping to increase its base, especially in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.”
Notably, out of 543 Lok Sabha seats across the country, southern states house 129 seats. The most number of Lok Sabha constituencies are in Tamil Nadu, that is, 39, followed by Karnataka 28, 25 in Andhra Pradesh, 20 in Kerala and 17 in Telangana. And except Karnataka, the BJP does not have its presence in other southern states. In 2019, the BJP won 25 seats in Karnataka, and an Independent MP extended his support to the saffron clan. The BJP is eyeing to increase the numbers in the Lok Sabha polls in the South.
Follow us
