With the State Assembly having been dissolved, there is an increase in political activity in the Taluk. Leaders and workers of the political parties are getting set for the battle ahead.

Former Congress legislator Dr M C Sudhakar has been holding meetings at the hobli-level, with minimum publicity. For senior JD(S) leader and former minister KM Krishna Reddy, this may be his last election; he too, is arranging for meetings at the hobli level.

The Chintamani constituency has retained its unique position in the political history of the State. Here, parties do not play an important role; politics here is personality-based - a fact that has been proved over and over again.

There is no better illustration for this than the results of the recent TMC elections.

Usually during elections, there sis a difference of opinion on the issue of awarding tickets in the Congress party; this time, such a clamour for tickets can be seen in the JD(S) as well. K M Krishna Reddy, who was the undisputed leader of the JD(S) till now, faces opposition from several other leaders. This curious development of bringing a new leader in place of Krishna Reddy has left the people surprised.

JD(S) rebels

The supporters of former minister Krishna Reddy are now backing Konappa Reddy from the police department.

They are lobbying for a ticket to be given to him; they have even met H D Kumaraswamy in this regard. They are also trying to mobilise support in the constituency. This is the first case of rebellion in the JD(S), in the taluk. Of course, it remains to be seen whether this will become a success.

We are not opposing former minister Krishna Reddy; he is our leader. However, given the changed political situation, we think that youngsters should be given tickets, say the supporters of Konappa Reddy. And this is the reasoning they use in their fund-raising campaigns.

But if they were on Krishna Reddy’s side, what was the necessity of going to Bangalore? It would have been better to hold discussions in the taluk.

They have forgotten that it was Krishna Reddy who nurtured Konappa Reddy, and even saved him from a murder case. Such a situation, which was never seen before in the party here, has now led to groupism within the party, say neutral observers.

Krishna Reddy, who has been known for his principled politics since his student days, was misled by some leaders, who were responsible for his joining the BJP.

It is said to be the same leaders who are now backing Konappa Reddy, says a taluk leader. Konappa Reddy is also trying to lobby for a Congress ticket through a Union Minister, according to rumour mongers.

As anyone familar with the politics of the constituency knows, the people of the constituency have been proved time and again that there is place in the constituency for only two families - that of T K Ranga Reddy and Anjaneya Reddy.

And this time around, the uncertainty generally seen in the Congress party is being witnessed in the JD(S) camp as well.

Political pundits say that since independence, the fight for the constituency has been between these two families; and this time too, it may be no different - they are confident that Krishna Reddy and Sudhakar will be pitted against each other for the upcoming Assembly polls.