Parties sweat it out as by-poll date nears in Karnataka

, Nov 11, 2024, 1:40 PM IST

Bengaluru: With just three days left for the by-polls in three assembly constituencies in Karnataka, the ruling Congress and the unified opposition of BJP and the JD(S) sweated it out on Sunday, to woo the voters.

The BJP has fielded former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s son Bharath Bommai from Shiggaon. He will face the Congress candidate Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan.

In Sandur, the saffron party has fielded Bangaru Hanumantha who will take on Congress’ E Annapurna.

In Channapatna, the BJP ally JD(S) has fielded the third generation of the party’s first family, Nikhil Kumaraswamy. He will face Congress heavyweight C P Yogeeshwara.

These by-polls were necessitated after E Tukaram (Sandur), Basavaraj Bommai (Shiggaon) and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy (Channapatna) resigned from the Karnataka assembly after they won the Lok Sabha election this year.

The top leaders of BJP, Congress and the JD(S) travelled in all the constituencies to make a last ditch attempt on a holiday to convince the electorate to vote for their candidates.

Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Sunday toured Channapatna constituency extensively seeking votes for his grandson Nikhil Kumaraswamy.

At a Dargah in Ramanagara, the 91-year-old JD(S) patriarch reached out to the Muslim community seeking their votes for Nikhil.

“You all vote for Nikhil Kumaraswamy and send him to the assembly. If you do that, we will take all the responsibility to fight for you,” Gowda told the gathering.

According to the former Prime Minister, he visited eight places in the Channapatna constituency.

Gowda’s son H D Kumaraswamy took out a road show in Mandya with the BJP leaders such as the Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka, former minister C N Ashwath Narayan and several others seeking vote for his son Nikhil.

Yogeeshwara too has put all his might, to win the election. He had lost the 2023 assembly election on BJP ticket from Channapatna against Kumaraswamy.

In Shiggaon, Bommai campaigned extensively for his son Bharath. Former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and several BJP leaders joined to campaign for the party candidate.

The Congress top guns camped in Shiggaon, campaigning for the party candidate Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his deputy D K Shivakumar and several senior Congress ministers joined them in a mighty show of strength.

The elections are crucial for the Congress as it is seen as a referendum after one and half years of its rule in Karnataka.

These elections are happening at a time when the Chief Minister is being probed by the Karnataka Lokayukta for his role in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority site allotment scam.

Along with Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathi B M and brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy are also accused in the case.

The party was also left red-faced following the illegal transfer of Rs 89 crore belonging to the Karnataka State Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribe Development Corporation. Congress’ B Nagendra resigned as the Scheduled Tribe Welfare Minister following the scam.