Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Mar 16: Public campaigning for the Lok Sabha bypoll for Udupi-Chikmagalur constituency, scheduled to be held on Sunday March 18, will come to an end on Friday March 16 evening. This bypoll has become a prestige issue for Chief Minister (CM), D V Sadananda Gowda, as he was representing this constituency till recently, while Congress and JD(S) are trying to set their foot in the region by basing their electioneering on tainted ministers, scams, and ineffective administration of the BJP government.

Once the open campaigning ends, activists of all the three parties will conduct door-to-door visits to woo voters. Top leaders of the three parties are in the constituency. The leaders and party activists who are not voters of the constituency need to leave the constituency by today evening.

The unique strategy adopted by leaders of these parties this time was personal attacks on leaders from opposite parties. Movie stars also have sweated it out to attract voters towards their respective parties. The leaders and activists could concentrate on this bypoll, as bypoll is not being held in any other constituency in the state along with Udupi-Chikmagalur Lok Sabha seat. While the BJP leaders pointed out at the miserable failure of the central governments and ministers hailing from Karnataka in their speeches, Congress and JD(S) banked on the follies of the state government and its ministers.

Along with the CM, BJP state president, Eshwarappa, and MP, Anant Kumar, are fully involved with their efforts to ensure victory of the party candidate, Sunil Kumar, However, the absence of former CM, Yeddyurappa, who used to be star campaigner in every by election held after the last general election, was conspicuous. Congress leaders like Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, Parameshwar, opposition leader, Siddaramaiah, union ministers, Mallikarjun Kharge and S M Krishna, have tried their best to turn the tide in favour of their candidate, Jayaprakash Hegde. H D Deve Gowda, former CM, Kumaraswamy, and many others toiled to seek favour of voters for the party candidate, Bhoje Gowda.

Although there are a number of independent candidates and candidates fielded by parties which do not have a firm footing in the constituency in the fray, their presence is not threatening the chances of the candidates fielded by BJP, Congress, and JD(S), it is being analyzed.