JOIN USAfter a two-day Ugadi break, campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections in Bangalore picked up momentum on Wednesday.
BJP candidates D V Sadananda Gowda, Ananth Kumar and P C Mohan had a packed day with a dawn-to-dusk schedule – meeting voters, calling on representatives of associations, eminent personalities, holding roadshows, among others.
Gowda started his day with a meeting with Sri Ravishankar of the Art of Living Foundation. After an interaction with voters, he held meetings with the hotel owners’ association and leaders of the backward classes and associations. Kumar called on theatre personalities Master Hiranaiah, T N Sitaram, actor Devaraj and his family. He also held meetings with Kammavari Sangha and Tamil Samavesha.
Mohan caught up with the early risers at Makkala Koota at 6:30 am and moved on to Shanthinagar for a padayatra. He later held a meeting with representatives of the advocates’ association and ended his day with a padayatra at Kamakshipalya.
Jnanapith awardee Girish Karnad, writer Dr K Marulasiddappa, ‘Mukhyamantri’ Chandru and Prof G K Govinda Rao, besides actor Jayamala, campaigned for Bangalore South Congress candidate Nandan Nilekani at Krishna Rau Park in Basavanagudi. Bangalore North Congress candidate C Narayanaswamy conducted a padayatra in Malleswaram. In the evening, he along with Congress MLA Byrati Basavaraj held a roadshow in KR Puram.
The Janata Dal (Secular) Bangalore North candidate Abdul Azeem campaigned at Sankey Tank in the morning. Azeem also campaigned in the Hebbal constituency from where he had lost the previous Assembly elections. “I met a few leaders in the constituencies and met the constituents seeking their votes,” he said.
He said certain BJP workers were trying to spread rumours that H D Deve Gowda had taken money from Sadananda Gowda and fielded him as a weak candidate. Bangalore South JD(S) candidate Ruth Manorama will start intensive campaigning on Thursday. On Wednesday, Manorama met a few party workers in her constituency to familiarise herself with them.
For its part, the Aam Aadmi Party continued to reach out to people. Party candidate from Bangalore Central, V Balakrishnan, met people at parks and slums in Banaswadi, the Bangalore South aspirant Nina Nayak went on a roadshow in JP Nagar.