While the people of the taluk  are hit by droughts, political leaders seem to be least affected by it. They are busy wooing defiant leaders of other parties to their own parties. Due to internal conflicts in Congress and JD(S) a few members of these parties have joined BJP. This has made the forthcoming elections a curious affair.

After Congress candidates were defeated in Sira and Kallambella constituencies in the last assembly elections dissidence in the party has been on the rise. The party lacks able leadership and each and every member is behaving like a leader.

Internal clashes
There have been clashes between N Y Hanumantappa, MP and T B Jayachandra, former minister. S Putirappa, who was earlier in Jayachandra faction has left Congress and joined BJP. This has been a major gain for the BJP at the cost of Congress. Even Congress party workers are heard saying that internal conflict in the party has become a boon for the BJP and JD(S).

It is also heard that if Putirappa gets a BJP ticket for forthcoming elections, many of the Congress workers and at least six taluk panchayat members would join BJP.

Former MP P Kodandaramaiah has said that he is organising the party by making Sira as base. He had contested from Sira twice in the past for parliment elections and had got a clear lead.

This is the reason he wants to be in Sira to strengthen the party. However, this statement from him has created a lot of discontent among Congress party workers and leaders.

Whose votes?
According to them, when Kodandaramaiah contested twice for parliment elections earlier he was a candidate of JD(S). At that time B Satyanarayana from JD(S) has won the assembly elections from the same constituency. Hence, it is clear that the votes Kodandaramaiah got were not for him or for Congress.

In fact they were JD(S) votes, feel party workers and leaders who maintain that JD(S) has got its own votes in each and every village of the taluk.

Thus, while the Congress has become a house of dissidence, JD(S) is busy calculating its own vote bank. BJP is all set cash in on the power of defiant leaders an both the parties, say political analysts.