| Parties are out, candidates resort to puja to woo voters |
| Advocates’ poll lose sheen |
| Subhash Chandra N S, Bangalore, DH News Service: |
The election to the Advocates Association, Bangalore (AAB) is bereft of the usual extravaganza this time.
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Winds of change have swept the election, otherwise marked by big parties. The candidates have to campaign without use of any handbill or other materials. They are now finding it difficult to reach the voters, following their undertaking to the court after the March 22 fiasco, that led to the cancellation of elections. The election is scheduled on July 12.
With barely five days left for campaigning, candidates are virtually racing against time to solicit votes.
“Out of the nine days left, four are holidays with two Saturdays and two Sundays. Even in those five days, campaigning should end 48 hours before the polls. Furthermore, as per the undertaking, the campaigning is restricted to advocates’ associations during lunch hours. We cannot campaign in the corridors or during court hours,” said a contestant.
Telgi’s counsel Shankarappa, one of the contestants said, “Since the candidates have given an undertaking that they will not host any parties for the voters, most of them are conducting religious programmes like Satyanarayana puja and birthday parties where the voters assemble.”
Explaining his unique problem, he said that the voters are unable to identify him as his appearance has changed due to his tonsured head and shaved moustache. “It will be difficult to reach out to 14,500 people in such a short span of time, that too without any pamphlets and identity cards,” he said.
However, some of the candidates such as K N Puttegowda have found a solution. He is going to each and every advocate’s office along with his supporters, and is confident that he will complete his campaigning within the given time. The new rules and the undertaking to the court will benefit the able candidates, he opined.
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