Karnataka polls: PM Modi meets Padma awardees Tulsi Gowda, Sukri Bommagowda, seek their blessings

Uttara Kannada: On a fresh visit to poll-bound Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday met Padma Shri recipients Tulsi Gowda and Sukri Bommagowda in Ankola on Wednesday.

PM Modi met the Padma recipients before a public meeting at Ankola in Uttara Kannada district and sought their blessings. Tulsi Gowda, an environmentalist, was conferred with the Padma Shri award in 2021.

Gowda, who is from Honnali village in Karnataka, had planted more than 30,000 saplings and takes care of the nurseries of the forest department. She belongs to Halakki Tribal in Karnataka and is also known as the Encyclopedia of Forest due to her vast knowledge of diverse species of plants and herbs.

Sukri Bommagowda, popularly called the nightingale of the Halakki Vokkaliga tribes, won the Padma Shri, the third-highest civilian honour in the country, for folk singing in 2017.

Earlier, on Tuesday, Prime Minister Modi held a mega roadshow in Kalaburagi. During the roadshow, people queued up on both sides of the road through which Prime Minister Modi’s cavalcade passed and cheered him on. They also showered petals on him. Riding on the top of a truck, PM Modi was seen waving at people lining both sides of the street.

Before embarking on the roadshow, PM Modi approached a bunch of children after spotting them cheering for him and fell into an adorable conversation with them. Prime Minister Modi asked them if they study or not. He also asked the children what they want to be when they grow up. One of the children replied that he wanted to be a doctor while another said he wanted to become a police officer.

PM Modi then asked, “Do not you want to become the PM?” To that question, one of the children said, “I want to become like you.” In the past as well, PM Modi was seen interacting with children on several occasions.

Giving a major boost to the BJP’s election campaign in Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held massive roadshows and public meetings in the poll-bound state over the past few days. PM Modi held mega roadshows in Mysuru and Bengaluru last month.

The BJP has pulled out all its top guns and heavyweights in Karnataka in bid to retain the only southern state it rules. Apart from Prime Minister Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda have also been making frequent campaign visits to the state and taking out massive rallies in the state ahead of the May 10 polls.

The saffron party, which is seeking a second term in the state, has exuded confidence about returning to power with a full majority.

The counting of votes for the Karnataka Assembly will take place on May 13.