Bengaluru, April 18: BJP national president Amit Shah on Wednesday reached Bengaluru to commence his two-day visit to the poll-bound state. Shah's visit coincides with Basava Jayanti, a prominent festival celebrated by Karnataka's Lingayat 'minority'.

The minority tag was accorded to Lingayats in one of the final cabinet decisions approved by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah before the Model Code of Conduct was imposed. The move, hailed as a "political masterstroke" by pollsters, is likely to erode the BJP's stronghold on the Lingayat community.

The party has vigorously opposed the categorisation of Lingayats as minority, calling it a "ploy of the Congress to divide the Hindus".

As part of his outreach towards the Lingayats, Shah paid homage earlier in the day to Lord  Basaveshwara, garlanding the 12th century seer's statue near Chalukya Circle in the state capital.

The BJP chief was also scheduled to meet historian Dr M Chidananda Murthy and Dalit poet Dr Siddalingaiah to receive inputs for the party's manifesto. Party MP Shobha Karandlaje said the two luminaries will give inputs to Shah regarding the concerns raised by the students, working class and intellectuals.

Shah's electioneering for the day will conclude with a roadshow, followed by a public address in Hoskote.

Less than a month remains for the tightly contested assembly polls in Karnataka, scheduled on May 12. The first major opinion poll released earlier in the month gave Congress the edge moving into the polls, but predicted a hung assembly.

The pre-election survey claimed the incumbent party is expected to win 90-110 seats, followed by the BJP which could bag 72-86 seats. The JD(S) of former PM H D Deve Gowda could emerge as the winner from 40 constituencies, the opinion poll said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 18, 2018 04:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).