Bengaluru, (DHNS): After completing its Janaasheervaada Yatre in most parts of the state, the ruling Congress is fully geared up take on the Opposition parties -- the BJP and the JD(S) in the Assembly elections scheduled to be held on May 12.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who is leading the campaign, has already toured Hyderabad Karnataka, Mumbai Karnataka, Coastal/Malnad and Old Mysore regions as part of party's pre-election campaign (Janaasheervaada Yatre). He is scheduled to tour the central Karnataka districts, covering Bengaluru revenue division in the first week of April, as part of fifth leg of the Yatre.

The party has simultaneously taken up candidate selection process and the KPCC election committee has recommended names of probable candidates to the high command.

The AICC Election Committee is expected to announce the first list of candidates, mostly in non-controversial constituencies, by April 15. Notification for elections is scheduled to be out on April 17. The last date of filing nomination papers by the candidates is April 24.

The Congress, in reality, began the election preparations much in advance. AICC general secretary incharge of Karnataka K C Venugopal and four other divisional secretaries had been camping in the state since September last year. The party has for the first time formed ward-level committees to take on the BJP at the grassroots level. It simultaneously conducted a door-to-door campaign called 'Mane Manege Congress' across the state.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is eying at the second term, has been in the poll mood for the past six months. From raking up separate religion tag for Lingayat to Kannada pride, he has taken setting the stage for the final battle.

Winning the upcoming assembly polls is crucial for the Congress. Karnataka is the only big state where the party is in power in the country. Moreover, it is expected to set the stage for the battle royale in the 2019 parliamentary polls. Victory in Karnataka will give the party the much-need boost to take on mighty BJP in 2019.