Parties pull out all stops for byelection bounty

All three major parties – the Congress, the BJP and the JD(S) - are switching to campaign mode for the November 3 bypolls.

The parties are chalking out detailed constituency-specific action plans and its leaders will be hitting the roads soon after the Dasara festival. Bypolls are being held for three Lok Sabha seats and two Assembly constituencies.

The two national parties – Congress and BJP - have appointed legislators and party functionaries for the byelections. In Bellary Lok Sabha constituency alone where Congress’ V S Ugrappa is taking on J Shantha of the BJP. The grand old party has appointed 52 incharge leaders, who have been given hobli-wise responsibilities. Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar, who is the district incharge minister, has been given overall responsibility to ensure the victory of Ugrappa.

The BJP, the only party contesting all the five seats going to the bypolls, is backing on its time tested micromanagement electoral strategy. The party has already started activating booth committees and galvanising the various morchas and its organisational machinery among others. The party is also looking at going to the voters harping on the friction between the alliance partners – Congress and JD(S).

The JD(S) is planning to make electoral gains by claiming credit for the mega Rs 44,000-crore crop loan waiver scheme. Shimoga is witness to a battle among the sons of three former chief ministers. The JD(S) is looking at consolidation of the votes of other backward classes and minorities to snatch the constituency from the clutches of BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa and his son Raghavendra, who is the BJP candidate. Former chief minister S Bangarappa’s son Madhu Bangarappa is the JD(S) nominee, supported by the Congress.

Down south, the BJP is eyeing to make inroads into the JD(S) bastion of Mandya Lok Sabha and Ramanagara Assembly seats. The party has succeeding in getting Congress MLC C M Lingappa’s son L Chandrashekar into its fold. The party has fielded him from Ramanagara constituency and he is pitted against Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy’s wife Anitha.

In Jamakhandi constituency in Bagalkot district, the Congress is banking on the sympathy factor in favour of its candidate Anand Nyamagouda, while the BJP is hoping that its strong organisational cadre in the segment will help its candidate Srikanth Kulkarni.

Political bigwigs including Yeddyurappa, H D Deve Gowda, Kumaraswamy, Siddaramaiah, D K Shivakumar are set to launch their campaign tour from Monday next.

Temple runs

Temple and mutt runs have already started. Kumaraswamy is scheduled to visit Adichunchanagiri Mutt in Nelamangala in Mandya district and Suttur Mutt in Mysuru this weekend.