Film stars and celebrities have joined the May 5 Karnataka poll campaign in a big way. They have galvanised the voters through road-shows, public meetings, print and television advertisements.
The ruling BJP, for which the Assembly polls in Karnataka is crucial, has roped in popular Kannada actress Tara for campaigning. The party is also likely to bring in Hema Malini and Smriti Irani. Apart from its star campaigner Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, party patriarch lK Advani will also be campaigning for the party, which is struggling with internal squabbles and defections
Similarly, the Congress is also ready with an array of big stars like Ramya and Bhavna besides veteran Kannada actor Ambareesh. He will possibly contest from the Mandya constituency.
Telegu superstar and Union Tourism Minister Chiranjeevi will be wooing the voters by campaigning for the Congress in constituencies on the Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh border. Umasri another popular actress is contesting from Congress and also campaigning for the party.
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi who is seen as in competition with Narendra Modi and Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be campaigning for the party, which is brimming with confidence to wrest power from BJP.
Pooja Gandhi, an A-grade Kannada actor, will be seen campaigning for mining magnate B Sriramulu’s BSR party. This would be the actress’ third political avatar as she started her political journey with the JD(S) in 2012 and then switched over to BS Yeddyurappa’s KJP and finally left that after she felt sidelined. She is also contesting the poll from BSR ticket.
Not just the political parties, the Election Commission too has roped in film stars like Puneet Rajkumar and Aindrita Ray to urge people to vote in the coming elections.
Meanwhile, the poll process began in Karnataka on Wednesday for the May 5 Assembly polls with the notification being issued, paving the way for candidates to file nominations.
The last day for filing nominations is April 17, with scrutiny of papers the next day and the last day for withdrawal on April 20.
Main political parties — the BJP (175), Congress (177) and Janata Dal Secular (JDS) (122) — are yet to announce candidates for all the 224 seats, while there are new entrants such as Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) of former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa (143) and BSR Congress floated by former BJP Minister B Sriramulu (124).