The war of words intensified during the campaigning for the Assembly polls in Karnataka, with the BJP accusing the Congress of “appeasement politics” and the Congress retaliating by alleging the ruling party of running a “ 40 per cent Sarkar”.

The bigwigs, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president JP Nadda and and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, on Monday held road shows, public rallies and interacted with the key community leaders in the State in their bid to make their respective parties surge ahead in the keenly fought poll slated for May 10.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah reminded Lingayats and Vokkaligas communities of the State of the increased quota accorded to them by the BJP Government in the State and sought to know from the Congress at whose expense they would cancel it as it seem to be promising to the voters.

Shah said the May 10 Assembly polls in Karnataka was all about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s development politics versus Congress’ appeasement politics, and defended the State BJP Government’s decision to scrap the four per cent reservation for Muslims.

He asserted that the BJP would form a Government with full majority in Karnataka and once again strengthen the party’s entry in the south of India.

“Congress even today is indulging in appeasement politics. The four per cent Muslim reservation that was given by the Congress has been ended by the BJP, and it has increased the reservation for Lingayat, Vokkaliga, SC/STs,” Shah said.

Addressing a large gathering after holding a massive road show in Gundlupet in Chamarajanagar district in the southernmost Karnataka, the top BJP leader pointed out that State Congress president D K Shivakumar had said that if their party came to power they would once again bring in Muslim reservation.

Asking people if they wanted Muslim reservation back, Shah said, “I want to ask Congress State President Shivakumar ji, you are speaking about bringing in Muslim reservation once again, but whose will you reduce? Answer the people of Karnataka, will you reduce Vokkaligas or Lingayats or SC/STs?”

“This election is all about Modi’s development politics versus Congress’ appeasement politics,” said Shah, one of the party’s key poll strategists and campaigners.

Just ahead of the announcement of polls in Karnataka, the State cabinet led by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had decided to scrap the 4 per cent reservation for Muslims under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota and to distribute it equally among the dominant Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities.

Expressing confidence in the BJP forming a Government with a full majority in Karnataka, once again strengthening the party’s entry in South India, Shah said, “Under Modi’s leadership a double-engine Government will be formed. Modi and our CM Bommai have worked for Karnataka’s progress.”

BJP president JP Nadda too is in Karnataka on a three-day visit and held road show in Sidlaghatta followed by a temple visit in Uttara Kannada district.

On the second day of his two-day visit to poll-bound Karnataka, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi interacted with sugarcane farmers and youth at Ramdurg in Belagavi district and thereafter left for Gadag to take part in “Yuva Samvaad” (interaction with youth).

Rahul then moved to the Chief Minister’s neighbouring constituency of Hangal in Haveri district where he addressed a public meeting in the evening. Bommai is contesting from Shiggaon segment in the district.

On arriving in Karnataka on Sunday, Rahul had paid obeisance to 12th-century poet and social reformer Basaveshwara at his resting place in Kudala Sangama, on the occasion of his birth anniversary that is observed as “Basava Jayanti” in the State. He then travelled to Vijayapura where he held a massive roadshow and addressed a public meeting.

Rahul attacked the BJP State Government by calling it a “40 per cent Sarkar” saying it has “gone beyond being corrupt” with the Bommai reminding the Congress leaders of the alleged scams by the Congress.

On his part Siddaramaiah asserted that the people of Karnataka want to show the door to the ruling BJP, Siddaramaiah said the saffron organisation cannot “mislead” the voters like it did five years ago.

Karnataka is expecting a host of BJP and non-BJP run states Chief Ministers to engage in the electioneering in the last leg of the campaigning for the May 10 polling