Karnataka polls: Modi rally at Kalaburagi; Rahul gives him F grade; updates

Karnataka Assembly election 2018 is seeing a fierce competition between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday undertaking his third round of campaigning in the poll-bound state and Congress President Rahul Gandhi on the same day visiting Karnataka for an eighth time this year. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will also campaign in Karnataka today. While Modi addressed a rally at Kalaburagi early afternoon, Gandhi gave the Modi government an 'F' grade in his report card for its performance in uplifting agriculture in the state.

Ahead of the May 12 Assembly election, Modi had launched his campaign blitzkrieg on Tuesday, with a blistering attack on the Congress party chief Gandhi and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Further, a day after Modi lavished praise on him at an election rally in Karnataka, Janata Dal (Secular) supremo H D Deve Gowda sought to play it down amid speculation of a BJP-JD(S) alliance or tacit understanding between the parties for the election. His remark came after Modi lashed out at Gandhi for "insulting" Gowda, saying that it showed his "arrogance". Countering Modi's statement, the Congress said that its president had not shown any disrespect to Gowda.