L'affaire Halappa overshadows GP polls

The political fever and the heat which the district experienced during Lok Sabha election is missing during Grama Panchayat election. Unusual calm prevails in home district of Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and State BJP Chief K S Eshwarappa in the aftermath of sexual harassment charges levelled against former minister H Halappa.

The number of cases with regard to violation of model code of conduct were unusually high in the district during Lok Sabha election with political parties making “extra efforts” to woo voters.  However, unlike the last time, leaders of political parties are reluctant to get involved in campaigning for the Gram Panchayat election.

L’affaire Halappa has made the BJP go on to the backfoot in the district. The beleaguered BJP has assigned the responsibility of campaigning in Sorab to MP B Y Raghavendra. The party’s plight is miserable in Sorab, the constituency which Halappa represents in the Assembly.

BJP leaders who were expected to be involved in intense campaigning by this time are lying low. Even Halappa’s staunch supporters are not visible in Sorab. The Halappa incident is more in public discussion than the GP election.

No political party has ventured to conduct public meetings and rally with regard to GP election. BJP leaders who are on damage control mode are terming the charges levelled against Halappa as a political conspiracy while Opposition leaders are busy staging protests demanding for Halappa’s arrest.