Karnataka: Curtains come down on spirited bypoll canvassing

Bengaluru: Major political parties in Karnataka are looking forward to the voting day on October 30 as campaigning for by-elections to Sindagi and Hanagal Assembly constituencies has ended.

The campaigning ended on Wednesday and the results are scheduled to be announced on November 2.

The constituencies saw high voltage campaigning by ruling BJP, Opposition Congress and JD(S) party leaders.

Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, former Chief Ministers B.S. Yediyurappa, H.D. Kumaraswamy, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, Opposition leader Siddaramaiah and state Congress chief D.K. Shivakumar had camped in the constituencies for over ten days to campaign for their candidates.

For Chief Minister Bommai, the results are crucial to prove that he can win elections for the party.

Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah had made scathing attacks on the ruling BJP and RSS to prove their mettle.

Kumaraswamy wants to retain Sindhagi constituency as it was earlier won by JD(S) candidate M.C. Managuli. However, the Congress managed to field the latter's son Ashok Managuli as its candidate from Sindagi.

Kumaraswamy too joined the bandwagon to attack RSS, when Siddaramaiah flayed him for fielding Muslim candidates in both constituencies to help the BJP win elections.

The elections were announced for these two constituencies following the death of former ministers C.M. Udasi from the BJP and Managuli from JD(S).

Unprecedented personal attacks were witnessed between the leaders of all major political parties during the electioneering.

The attacks between Kumaraswamy, Siddaramaiah and BJP state President Nalin Kumar Kateel had taken an unpleasant turn with the leaders taking personal jibes at each other.

After Kumaraswamy's scathing attacks on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Kateel had asked him to visit the RSS units to understand the organisation. Reacting to this, Kumaraswamy stated that he should visit the RSS unit to watch blue (porn) films.

Kumaraswamy issued a statement mentioning alleged sex CD case scandal of BJP former minister Ramesh Jarakiholi and release of alleged sex scandal videos of senior BJP leaders. He also referred to many BJP ministers obtaining stay orders from the court on the media broadcasting their private videos.

Following this, the BJP posed a questionnaire ridiculing him with a personal jibe. The party said that he should be careful with bigamy and breach of trust as they are considered as offences by law. In reaction, Kumaraswamy said that everyone makes mistakes and he has rectified his. He also warned he could reveal dirty secrets about all BJP leaders.

The Opposition Congress also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and RSS, while the ruling BJP criticised former Prime Minister Late Jawaharlal Nehru and Rahul Gandhi.

Shivakumar apologised for the comments on Modi and got them deleted from his social media posts. Yediyurappa asked the BJP top leaders not to issue trivial statements on Rahul Gandhi and stated that he has a great respect for Congress leaders.