Karnataka elections: Amit Shah holds meeting with top BJP state leaders

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday held a meeting with Karnataka BJP leaders in Bengaluru for the upcoming Assembly elections.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai was also present at the meeting.

Amit Shah is on a three-day visit to poll-bound Karnataka from Friday as the state gears up for a fierce political battle in the month of May. This is Shah's first visit to Karnataka since the announcement of the polls last month.

Shah was supposed to hold a roadshow in Devanahalli on Friday. However, his roadshow was cancelled due to rain.

"Due to heavy rain could not be there among the people of Devanahalli. I bow to them for turning out in large numbers despite adverse weather. I will certainly visit Devanahalli soon for a campaign. Their enthusiasm shows that the BJP will win a massive victory in Karnataka," tweeted Shah.

Taking to Twitter, BJP Karnataka said, "Amit Shah ji landed in Bengaluru and was headed to the Devanhalli Roadshow. However, heavy rains in that area made the commencement of the road show impossible. In order to not cause inconvenience to the karyakartas assembled, the state leadership has decided to postpone the event."

The 224-seat Assembly will go to polls on May 10 and the votes will be counted on May 13.

Big names in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and party president JP Nadda among others featured in the party's list of star campaigners for the May 10 Karnataka Assembly elections.

The BJP released a list of 40-star campaigners on April 18 for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections for which the BJP has exerted full might to return to power.

The other big names from the Centre which will seek votes for the party in BJP's "gateway to the South" (Karnataka) include Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister Smriti Irani and others.

Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also feature in the list.

The chief ministers of BJP-ruled states including Karnataka's Basavaraj Bommai who is seeking a second term, Uttar Pradesh's Yogi Adityanath, Assam's Himanta Biswa Sarma, Madhya Pradesh's Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will campaign for the party.

Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai, former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, KS Eshwarappa who quit electoral politics also feature in the list.

BJP Chief JP Nadda is also on a two-day visit to the state. This is Nadda's first visit to the State after the party announced candidates for the Assembly polls. Nadda held a roadshow in Bidar.