Bengaluru, Mar 17 (UNI) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar asserted on Sunday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to start his parliamentary election campaign from Kalaburagi, the home district of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, indicated Modi's apprehension towards Kharge.

Despite the past results where the Congress only secured one out of 28 seats in Karnataka during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Shivakumar expressed confidence that the Congress will win 20 seats in the upcoming elections, including Kalaburagi.
"He (Modi) is afraid of the Leader of Opposition (in Rajya Sabha) Mallikarjun Kharge. Hence, he began his election campaign from there (Kalaburagi). We will win 20 seats including Kalaburagi," he told reporters here.
Modi initiated his election campaign in Karnataka from Kalaburagi on Saturday, with his subsequent campaign scheduled in Shivamogga.
Shivakumar also announced that the next list of Congress candidates for the Lok Sabha elections will be revealed on March 20, following a meeting scheduled for March 19 to finalize the candidates.

"There is a meeting on March 19. We will announce the list on March 20," he said.
Shivakumar disclosed plans to convene a meeting with taluk level nominated presidents of guarantee schemes on March 21 to assign them duties for the party's benefit.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress secured only one out of the 28 seats in Karnataka, while the BJP won 25 seats. Additionally, an independent candidate, Sumalatha Ambareesh, supported by the BJP, won a seat.

The Janata Dal (Secular) managed to secure one seat in Hassan. Presently, the JDS has allied with the BJP and joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
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