The coming days will witness hectic lobbying for party tickets, parties finalising their election strategies, release of election manifesto and hitting the campaign trail.
The BJP is banking on a three-pronged campaign combination - betrayal by the JD(S), price rise of essential commodities and threat to state security and stability due to rising terrorism - to win a “comfortable majority”.
According to party sources, the first list of candidates would be announced in three to four days and would include candidates contesting in the second and the third phases too. The party is planning to launch its campaign trail for Bangalore by April 15 and for other districts by April 20.
List on April 10
The first list of Congress candidates would be released by April 10. “We have not yet decided on the number of lists; the party election committee meeting in two-three days would decide on the issue”, said KPCC President Mallikarjun Kharge.
The Congress would form four teams to make a whirlwind tour of the State. Former Railway Minister C K Jaffer Sharief has been requested to draft the manifesto. The party would use audio and visual modes for campaigning.
The party Supremo H D Deve Gowda has decided to enter the political battle field from Thursday. Gowda will extensively tour several north Karnataka districts campaigning for the party.
The party has convened its parliamentary board meeting on April 9 and 10 to shortlist applications from aspirants seeking the party tickets. It is learnt that he has already prepared a probable list of candidates for all 224 constituencies.
On the other end, his son-former CM H D Kumaraswamy is already on a whirlwind tour -- Jaitra Yatra --and has covered almost 90 per cent of the State. He will continue with the yatra till April 10.
The JD(S) believes that Kumaraswamy’s 2--month performance as the CM is its trump card and that elections in May will only benefit the party in reaping the benefit of the former CM’s  “popularity wave”.