Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Karnataka on March 12 to dedicate the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campus in Dharwad.  PM Modi has already visited the poll-bound state five times this year for various developmental programmes. He is participating in public rallies and road shows.

With the new expressway, the travel time between the two cities is expected to come down from three hours to around 90 minutes. The 119-km-long expressway starts near the NICE road on the outskirts of Bengaluru and ends at the Outer Ring Road in Mysuru. The access-controlled expressway on National Highway 275, has been taken up by Dilip Buildcon at a cost of more than Rs 8,000 crore. The expressway features 19 major bridges, 44 minor bridges, four rail over-bridges, and around 50 underpasses. While the expressway was supposed to be completed in 2022, several delays have frustrated those who face a difficult commute due to the under-construction road.

Meanwhile, the Congress has objected to the repeated visits of Union government leaders, including PM Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to Karnataka. Siddaramaiah on Sunday, February 5, demanded that the model code of conduct should be implemented immediately in the state. Siddaramaiah has also urged the Election Commission to announce the date of elections. "We will submit a memorandum to the EC in this regard. Model Code of Conduct should be declared immediately to stop corruption and violation of law," he added.

He also alleged that the state government is misusing the public funds by organising programmes of PM Modi, Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh. "The ministers are getting bribes from contractors and allocating tenders. BJP candidates are distributing gifts and cash to people. To prevent all this, the EC must declare election dates and Model Code of Conduct in the state," he demanded.