As the countdown for polling in the Kollegal (Reserved) Assembly Constituency, begins, political parties have intensified their campaign with senior leaders of the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal (Secular) descending on the constituency to work for the victory of their respective party candidates.
Polling will be held in the constituency on August 18.
The district is facing by-election for the first time after Congress MLA from Kollegal, R. Dhruvanarayan, resigned following his election to the Lok Sabha in the recently concluded general elections.
The electorate in the constituency is puzzled by the importance of a by-election and are awestruck by the zooming sports-utility vehicles on the muddy roads leading their villages. When the Chief Minister’s convoy passed Aldur village, Sidde Gowda left his tiller and went to see the zooming automobiles, which he had not seen so far.
The failure of rain and delay by the Government in announcing Chamarajanagar as drought-hit district has not perturbed the voters in any manner. They are visibly engaged in discussing politics and prospects of candidates in the fray. Except a few patches which are blessed by irrigation, crops in other parts of the district are withering. The district administration has estimated loss to the standing crops at Rs. 59 crore.
Small-time entrepreneurs are trying to cash in on the election season by opening small shops in Santemarahalli hobli, which is focal point for leaders of all political parties. In the absence of “good” hotels, leaders prefer to stay in the houses of their supporters. Speaking to The Hindu , Chairman of the Karnataka Housing Board, G.T. Deve Gowda, said that he had rented a house, and his personal cook had accompanied him.
A spacious pandal and stage erected by a contractor in the centre of Yelandur town is being used by all parties to hold their election rallies. “The venue will be same, it is the backdrop and environs that change there,” says Mallikarjunappa, chairman of Jungle Lodges and Resorts Ltd.
Senior leaders of Congress, BJP and the Janata Dal (S), including Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, State BJP president Sadananda Gowda; Ministers of Mr. Yeddyurappa’s cabinet, H.N. Ananth Kumar, MP, leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president R.V. Deshpande, Union Ministers M. Mallikarjun Kharge and H. Muniyappa, leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council V.S. Ugrappa, and president of the State unit of the Janata Dal (S) H.D. Kumaraswamy, have visited Kollegal constituency and made their best efforts to woo the voters.
In the absence of “crowd pulling” leaders, Bahujan Samaj Party candidate, Subash Bharani, accompanied by party workers, is touring the nook and corner of the constituency. Besides over 25,000 votes secured by the party candidate Mahesh in the last election, he is confident of wooing over 35,000 Dalit voters in the constituency. Some leaders of political parties, who are in-charge of the campaign are camping and overseeing the campaign in the constituency.
Mr. Yeddyurappa, who toured the constituency recently, attracted the wrath of opposition parties for cautioning the electorates of “bitter experience” in case of not supporting the BJP candidate. The Election Commission is said to have sought a report from Chamarajanagar Deputy Commissioner Manoj Kumar Meena regarding the Chief Minister’s speech.
