The Karnataka assembly polls have become a testbed for two crucial factors: BJP's Basavaraj Bommai reign and the new leadership for Congress under Mallikarjun Kharge. As both sons of the soil cross swords in what has become the gateway for both the parties in the south, the fight and fury have made this an uphill battle as winning Karnataka is imperative for both the parties.

Winning Karnataka is not just winning an election but would be a prelude for both the parties to stay and expand their base in South India - due to which the parties have gone the extra mile in the do-or-die contest. Unlike anyother recent assembly elections, the BJP and Congress have brought a huge battalion to the campaign trail. As Karnataka has a history that running an assembly for the complete five-year term is rare, both the parties are vying to win the election with a clear majority. 

Karnataka is heading for a single-phase poll on May 10 and the results would be declared on May 13. The state has 224 assembly seats and the heated campaigns would end on Monday - May 8. As both the parties are on their last day of campaigning, they are unleashing their final fight and final pitch to their poll promises. Interestingly, the bigshots from both the parties toured Karnataka, held roadshows, and had thrown more assurances on the Karnataka voters. 

The Congress party's leadership has camped in Karnataka and notably, senior Congress leader and party's former president Sonia Gandhi came to Karnataka and campaigned for the party, which has become her first public campaign appearance in four years. Along with Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had strengthened the party's campaign along with a league of senior leaders. 

The top Congress leaders have held dozens of roadshows, public meetings, and large-scale interactions to oust the BJP regime. It is also a political gala for the Congress as the leaders came together to advance the party's efforts. In the recent elections including in the northeast, Gujarat, and Himachal Pradesh, the top Congress leaders did a cameo role in campaign - Kharge had addressed just one campaign in Nagaland while Rahul Gandhi took part in one campaign event in Meghalaya. However, both of them had refrained from direct campaigning in Tripura this February. 

In Himachal Pradesh, Rahul Gandhi stood away as he gave the task to Priyanka Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge and in Gujarat, he just addressed two rallies. The trend among the Congress leadership to keep away from incessant campaigning has certainly changed or come to an end in Karnataka as the scenes from the state display how the Congress leadership is concerned and committed to triumph the Karnataka polls. 

All the top Congress leaders gave a tough fight to a relatively large battalion of BJP, that include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president JP Nadda, several Union Ministers and a bunch of Chief Ministers. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge is scoring more when it comes to the campaign contest in Congress. Kharge's round-the-clock election tour exhibits how he is assaying to win his  homestate and to have a huge breakthrough for his leadership as the Congress president. 

According to reports, Kharge has held 31 public meetings and roadshows and four workers' meetings. Rahul Gandhi has campaigned for ten days and till Sunday, he has attended twenty public meetings and one roadshow. He has also held five interactions with people like sanitation workers, street vendors, youth and women. Priyanka Gandhi has held 25 public meetings and roadshows and has also held two meetings with women. 

On Saturday - May 6, Congress had Sonia Gandhi on stage for the first one in four years. She hasn't taken part in the election campaigns since 2019 due to health reasons and on Saturday, she has held a rally in Karnataka's Hubballi, which is a stronghold of Lingayat community. The top Congress leaders have also enhanced their campaign tours in northern and central parts of Karnataka as they are typical grounds where Congress would get more MLAs. 

On the other hand, BJP, amidst enduring setbacks after key leaders left the party, is playing out through its recent slogan 'Double Engine Sarkar'. The saffron camp has got apparent backing from actors Kiccha Sudeep and Tollywood star Brahmanandham and as the BJP aims to end the nearly-four-decade-old pattern of alternating governments and to retain its reign, the campaign from celebrities and from the community leaders come as an advantage, but it's rule has given more reasons for the voters to unseat the party. 

BJP has fixed a target of securing 150 assembly seats and with what seems to be an unrealistic target due to huge dissents, the party is working to leave no stones unturned. From Modi's intense campaign tour, converting the promises of Congress including banning of Bajrang Dal in Karnataka into a strong talking point that the grand old party is against Hindus, to its religious backup, BJP has presented that besides its religious backup, the party is fostering an anti-Congress vote bank that would help it now and in the 2024 general elections. 

The Janata Dal (Secular) -JD(S), led by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, is also in the race and though they can't play a larger impact, their results might be crucial as the JD(S) would emerge as a gamechanger if either of the national parties run short of clear majority. JD(S) aims to be a king this time from being a kingmaker before and it has campaigned with a hope that it would get majority numbers in the assembly to form its own government. The campaigns in Karnataka will come to a close by 5 pm on Monday and as the campaign has come to the climax, the voters' verdict on May 13 will actually end the story.