BJP unleashes hectic campaigning in Hebbal

BJP candidate Y A Narayanaswamy and his supporters on Monday held ‘padayatras’ through the day meeting and interacting with voters for the February 13 Hebbal Assembly bypolls.

For the last few days, Narayanaswamy has been starting his day early and catching up with morning walkers in parks. On Monday, he started his campaign at 6 am to interact with early risers in Hebbal. His next destination was Sanjaynagar ward, where he held a door-to-door campaign for nearly four hours covering various localities such as KEB Layout, Thimmaiah Layout, Teachers’ Colony among others. After lunch, Narayanaswamy and his supporters shifted to Gangenahalli ward going through the same routine.

The party backroom boys have worked out detailed route plans. While senior leaders, including Union Minister Ananth Kumar and D V Sadananda Gowda, have already held roadshows in the constituency in the last few days, former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa will address a public rally at Kuvempu Grounds in Dollar’s Colony at 4 pm on Tuesday.

JD(S) lukewarm
For the JD(S), the bypolls are not as important as the ZP/TP polls. Though the party leadership, including H D Deve Gowda and H D Kumaraswamy, have involved themselves in campaigning, they haven’t invested their energies in the Hebbal constituency where Ismail Sharief has been fielded.

Hebbal has not been a priority constituency right from the beginning. But after the party strategically fielded a minority candidate in the hope of denting the Congress’ prospects, it started facing rebellion from Chamarajpet MLA B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan who has disputed the party’s selection. None of the party banners in Hebbal has the picture of Khan. Kumaraswamy, who has been spending much time in Devadurga and Bidar, has said the party would think of initiating action against Khan after February 20.