Campaigning for 3 Assembly bypolls ends

Bengaluru : The campaign for the bypolls in three Assembly constituencies in Karnataka ended on Monday.

The leaders of ruling Congress and BJP-JD(S) alliance are making last-ditch efforts to woo voters as the results are considered to be crucial.

The bypolls in three Assembly segments have been necessitated due to the elections of three legislators to Lok Sabha in the general elections this year.

The high-profile Channapatna seat, was represented by Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy.

The Shiggaon Assembly constituency was represented by former CM and BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai and the Sandur seat was represented by former minister and Congress MP E. Tukaram.

The Channapatna seat was held by the JD(S), Shiggaon by BJP and Sandur segment was won by the Congress party earlier.

The BJP has never been able to win Sandur (ST reserve) Assembly constituency. The Congress has fielded former minister Tukaram’s wife Annapurna Tukaram as its candidate.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had camped in the constituency for five days and carried out intense campaigning. The BJP has fielded Bangaru Hanumanthu, the party State ST Morcha President as its candidate.

The party is hopeful of wresting the seat for the first time following the Maharshi Valmiki Tribal Welfare Board case. Besides, mining baron and MLA Gali Janardhana Reddy and former minister B. Sriramulu’s efforts are expected to fetch more votes for the BJP. Minister for Labour Santhosh Lad, Congress MP Tukaram, MLA B. Nagendra, who was jailed in a tribal welfare scam are working together to win the seat.

The BJP camp in Shiggaon is upbeat about the results as the party is expecting polarisation of Hindu votes against the Muslim candidate fielded by the Congress party.

State BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra has declared that their party has already won the seat.

Bharath Bommai, son of former CM Basavaraj Bommai is the BJP candidate and Yasir Ahmad Khan Pathan is the Congress candidate.

Minister Zameer Ahmad Khan has taken the responsibility of the seat and MP Basavaraj Bommai is camping in the constituency after the declaration of bypolls.

The high-profile Channapatna seat is witnessing intense fighting between the NDA and the Congress party. Nikhil Kumaraswamy is the JD(S) candidate, taking on former BJP senior leader C.P. Yogeshwara from the Congress. Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar and his brother, former Congress MP D.K. Suresh has taken it as a matter of prestige to ensure the victory of the Congress candidate.