While Aravind Limbavali of the BJP and B Shivanna of the Congress are outsiders, R Muniraju of the JD(S) hails from Mahadevapura. Though it appears like a direct fight between the BJP and the Congress, the JDS is leaving no stone unturned.

With 260 polling stations, the constituency has a total of 2,73,519 voters including 1,46,470 men and 1,27,049 women.

The electorate population is mixed with voters from different communities and geographies. Over  80,000 voters from the Reddy community, 3,000 Muslims, 50,000 SC/ST category, 20,000 Bovis, 20,000 Tigalas, 25,000 Vokkaligas, and 70,000 from other States.

The JD(S) seems to be lagging behind in the campaign. But it’s candidate R Muniraju draws attention to his extensive but silent campaign, the support extended by the Bovi Associations and Dalit Associations of various districts, and the campaign launched by the members of these bodies.

Besides, Muniraju says he has managed to woo Muslim electorates, members of 22 women self-help groups, women workers of 18 garment factories, electorates in slums and rural areas.

For Limbavali, leaders such as  former CM B S Yeddyurappa, Anantha Kumar and Venkaiah Naidu have all turned up to campaign. Limbavali has managed to woo some independent candidates to withdraw from the fray and some Congress local leaders to join the party.

He belongs to the Bovi community and has support of some industrialists of the area.

But, Muniraju’s close proximity to Dalits and the insider factor might just pose problems for Limbavali.

The Congress party is in power in most local bodies under the constituency.

The erstwhile Varthur constituency has been divided into two Assembly segments-Mahadevapura and K R Puram. The Varthur segment was a Congress stronghold.