The poll results would be important for Shivakumar as the national leaders have a lot of hopes on Karnataka as this has been one of a handful of states where the grand old party was in power. Being President of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee,  he has to offer around 10-15 seats to INDI Alliance kitty and to prove that Karnataka was still under their control.  

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The Congress high command has vested a lot of hope in Shivakumar because under his leadership the party had come to power that too by securing 135 seats of the total 224 seats.

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To appease gods and goddesses, Shivakumar has set off on two day visit of all the major and important temples in different parts of the state. There’s no secret that his prayer is to win the maximum number of seats in the parliamentary polls.

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He embarked on this ‘divine’ tour by flying from Bengaluru to Mangalore and reached Sree Kshethra Dharmasthala around 1 am. A special puja was organised at 8 am in which he took part. Later, he called on Dr Veerendra Heggade, the dharmadhikari of the Shree Kshethra, he hopped into a private chopper from Bilinale Helipad, and went to Kukke Subramanya temple.

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After the puja, he flew to Sri Sharadambha temple in Sringeri. Later, he went to Kollur to have the darshan of Mookambika Devi. He ended the day with a visit to Gokarna in Uttara Kannada district which is where he has halted.

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Tomorrow, Day 2 will see Shivakumar offering puja to Lord Mahabaleshwar and reach Kumta. Later, he would address the workers of the Uttara Kannada Lok Sabha constituency in Kumta, and then head towards Mysuru to join Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who has been camping in Mysuru since last two days to work out the strategies to win back both Mysuru and Chamarajanagar seats at any cost. Later, he would visit Chamundi Hills to have the darshan of Goddess Chamundeshwari, the presiding deity of Mysuru.

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Unlike the CM, the deputy chief minister is seen as an openly religious person who regularly goes temple hopping before any major political assignments. A devotee of Kalabhyeshwara, Shivakumar visits the Adi Chunchanagiri mutt regularly.

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