Shreyas H S / Naveen Menezes
Pics: Meryick D'Silva
Daijiworld Media Network - Beltangady/Mangalore

Beltangady/Mangalore, Apr 15: The last day of campaigning for the all-important Lok Sabha elections is here. As parties and their candidates make a last ditch effort to woo voters, daijiworld team followed two prime candidates of Dakshina Kannada - Janardhan Poojary of Congress and Nalin Kumar Kateel of BJP - in their campaign trails. Campaigning has been mostly door-to-door especially in rural pockets, whereas in Mangalore city limits the parties have been convening a series of press meets and holding road shows and rallies.

Here is a glimpse into a day of campaigning by both candidates - Janardhan Poojary in Beltangady and Nalin Kateel in Mangalore North Assembly constituency.

Janardhan Poojary

Amid sweltering hear and dust Janardhan Poojary's number '99' Ambassador car along with a convoy of supporters made its way around Beltangady taluk, reaching out to electorate in the remote areas.

Daijiworld on Friday April 11 compressively kept a track on the electioneering by Janardhan Poojary to study the candidate’s focus on rural areas, emphasis on local issues and mood of the villagers.

His aging feet comfortably fitted with Reebok shoes, the 76-year-old veteran politician campaigned like Nike tag line ('Just do it'), knocking at one door after another, leaving no stone unturned to woo the rural voters. He waxed eloquent about the six decades of Indian National Congress while also marketing the new policies implemented in the state during chief minister Siddaramaiah’s tenure.

"BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is hailing Gujarat model of development promising the people of replicating a similar model across the nation. This is a blatant lie by Modi who has emerged from the RSS shell, killing many in the 2002 riots," - uttering these words at Madanthyar, Poojary kicked off his day's campaign that went on till late evening.

After addressing a brief press meet in which he reacted on Modi's admission of his marital status made in his affidavit, Poojary accompanied by Beltangady MLA Vasantha Bangera spoke in an open public meeting attacking Modi and explaining the developmental works carried out by the Congress party. As in most of his public addresses, he invoked his inspirational figures Indira Gandhi as well as Rajiv Gandhi thus exhibiting his loyalty.

To get a sense of the voters' pulse in the taluk, daijiworld team, moving away from the venue of the public meeting, spoke to at Madanthyar residents to study the current mood ahead of the LS elections.

"We had given mandate for Congress party during the last Assembly elections toppling the unruly administration of the BJP. However, in the Lok Sabha elections we need a strong change. People are upset by the ten years of regime of Congress party that was the main reason for corruption and price rice which pinched the common man," was the common opinion of the people who spoke to daijiworld.  It was apparent that people wanted to see a change at the centre. "Voters are hoping for better governance and reprieve from the skyrocketing prices that are burdening the people here," said another resident.

On the other hand, the Narendra Modi wave in the village testifies the Congress-led UPA's failure in administration. In other words, it is not Modi but Congress party’s failure that has facilitated the BJP leader to take the driver's seat, feel the voters.

When quizzed on local issues, the residents of at Madanthyar hit out at the elected representatives and said, "As elections are nearing these politicians make their way to villages knocking at every door. But far from resolving our problems like frequent power cuts, poor water supply and unemployment, they are nowhere to be found after the elections. The prime problem of this taluk is lack of access to hospitals as they are located at far distances. No politician has addressed this issue in totality including the sitting MP Nalin Kumar Kateel."

Even as they appreciated Poojary for his discipline, they said they would prefer voting for Modi but not for Nalin Kateel. The popularity Modi enjoys in the taluk, despite being a national leader, was evident.

The campaigning took a different shape when Poojary donned the role of a 'teacher' at Shaktinagar in Maladi village, one of the remotest village of the taluk. "How many in this group of women gathered here get rice for the price of Re 1, please rice your hands," saying this the veteran politician won the hearts of the women voters. "Do not hesistate, please raise your hands," he reiterated when the women shied away.

Poojary delineated the developments initiated by the Congress party in Karnataka and declared that voters are the real administrators. "The party would not have come to power if you had not turned out to vote," he said.

Local issues dominated the interaction in Shaktinagar, with residents requesting BPL cards, Kumki land, houses, pensions, and water supply.

Janardhan Poojary responded that more BPL cards would be issued if they vote for the ‘hand’ (Congress party symbol) and make him victorious in the parliamentary elections.

However, Modi wave does not seem to be visible in this place since people are more worried about their own lives and prevailing problems of the place. "We do not need to vote for Modi as Vasanth Bangera has been responding to our problems," said people of Shaktinagar, the place which also has a large number of minority voters.

Poojary then moved on to Maddadka and further intensified his attack against the BJP. Surrounded by minority community voters he once again lauded the political committment of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. Rest of the speech was a repeat telecast.

To understand the mood of the party workers in Maddadka, daijiworld approached one of the youth leaders, who said that this election would be a neck-and-neck battle in the district. "People will favour the veteran politician as he has admitted that this would be his last election. Party workers are vociferously working hard to enable his victory," he said.

However, without denying the Modi wave in the district, he said that there was still an anti-BJP wave in the state which proved bitter for BJP in the last Assembly elections.

"This is the taluk that ranks first in the distribution of BPL cards. Congress MLA Vasanth Bangera has issued 17,000 BPL cards in a short period and the number is likely to shoot up in the coming days," he said.

On the political detractors of the former union minister, he said Harsha Moliy has been playing behind-the-scene stunts by backing SDPI candidate as well as 'favouring' BJP to spoil Poojary's chances.
"But the party workers are working hard in Beltangady taluk to ensure Poojary's victory in this region," he added.

The residents of Maddadka opined that there was a strong anti-incumbency factor against the Congress and people would decimate the party in the elections. However, they refrained from praising Nalin Kumar Kateel despite recent MP rankings that stirred debate in Mangalore city, but at the same time expressed that 'We need Modi Sarkar this time'.

The Congress candidate sought divine blessings at Shree Panchalingeshwara Durgaparameshwari Temple and even tried to woo Brahmins in the temple. He finished his lunch and later met the temple authorities seeking their votes on the day of elections.

The convoy of supporters followed him to Sunnadakere, where he addressed another public meeting convened by Muslims. Poojary raked up the 2002 Gujarat riots issue and said, "The whole world has witnessed through national media the way Modi handled the government then. He is piling up a bundle of lies projecting a fake model of the Gujarat to fool the people. Modi is an undemocratic man and will create a divide and disrupt the harmony in the country.

"Congress aspires to achieve peace, hence vote for the ‘hand’," he reiterated explaining the achievements of Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi. The locals assured Poojary their support. The place seemed to be favouring the Congress as daijiworld approached a few people to understand the general opinion.

Church Visits

Two closed-door meetings were held with two Christian priests as a part of his visit to the churches. This could be a calculated move on the part of the veteran politician to increase the Christian support. He visited St Lawrence Church and St Holy Redeemer Church, Beltangady.

He was accompanied by members of Konkani Sahitya Academy to both the churches, where he got blessings from the religious leaders. It was evident with the seriousness of the visit and closed-door meetings with the priests that Congress is banking seriously on Christian votes. 

Final lap of the day

Daijiworld team was mobbed by residents of Padangady who expressed vociferous support to Poojary and denied any sort of Modi wave in the place. "We are peace loving people, with all the communities bonding with harmony," said Kishor. According to him this was one of the 80 villages ranked first in the percentage of votes polled for the incumbent MLA Vasanth Bangera. "Congress party has developed this district in accordance with the expectations of the electorate. The locals this time too will support the Congress and ensure that Poojary assumes the post of MP," he said.

A spirited Poojary after witnessing the large number of people gathered at Padangady delivered the best speech of the day. He urged people not to support the BJP as it has poor track record compared to the Congress party.  At the same, he criticized Modi, but in a balanced manner.

Cheers, adulations and whistles sprouted at the venue that brought a grand smile on the face of Poojary, doubling his hope of winning the elections.

Nalin Kumar Kateel

Nalin Kumar Kateel, the BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Dakshina Kannada spent most of the day visiting temples and meeting party workers in Mangalore North constituency on Sunday, April 13.

Earlier on Saturday, Kateel campaigned in the villages around Beltangady and met RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat and Mahesh Shetty Thimarodi who had led the movement for justice in Sowjanya rape and murder case. Their meeting provoked much debate about Thimarodi's possible entry into BJP, but both the party and Thimarodi himself denied the reports.

On Sunday, Kateel campaigned in Mangalore North constituency. However, the campaign was limited to party workers and visit of temples.

Around 10.30 am, he addressed a gathering of youths – mostly party workers – at Kuppepadav, which is around 27 km away from Mangalore. In his address, he said, “Today, everyone wants Narendra Modi to be the Prime Minister of our country. People want change, a transformation in the political system and overall development. And this is possible only if Modi takes the lead role.

"There is a strong Modi wave in this district, prevalent even in the nook and corner of every village. You are the testimony to this fact," he said, pointing at the crowd who chanted the name of Modi at every sentence.

The incumbent MP further said, "Modi wave in the district, the developmental works I have done during my tenure as the MP and the anti-Congress wave are the plus points for me. This time, I will win with a higher margin than the previous elections.

"Already, the party workers have finished three rounds of campaigning at the booth level. I am addressing the people at panchayat level. And everywhere we go, people welcome the party warmly. Modi is in everyone’s heart. All of them want BJP to form the government. And this in itself is my victory," Kateel said.

From Kuppepadavu junction, Nalin Kateel paid a visit to Durgaparameshwari Temple, Iruvail which is at a distance of nearly 3 km from there. The BJP candidate did not visit the religious heads of any church, at least not on the day daijiworld followed on his campaign trail.

After offering prayers at the temple, Nalin Kumar Kateel along with former state minister Krishna Palemar reached Yedapadavu, which is at a distance of nearly 5 km from Kuppepadavu to address the public. However, the BJP leaders did not address the public as his political opponent in the Lok Sabha election B Janardhana Poojary was already addressing the crowd along with MLA Mohiuddin Bava and Vittal Vijayanath Shetty.

The BJP leaders then started towards Gurpur-Kaikamba and were followed by party workers in three cars. In Gurpur, the BJP candidate offered prayers at Satya Devatha and Dharma Devatha temple and also visited Shree Venkataramana Temple apart from meeting party workers outside the temples.

The BJP leaders along with the MP candidate moved towards Ganjimatt to meet the party workers. Kateel, however, did not make any other public meetings apart from meeting the party workers to boost house to house by party workers.

In addition, Sridevi, wife of Nalin Kumar Kateel campaigned in the region of Moodbidri on behalf of her husband. She visited tailoring shops and cashew factories and asked the employees to vote for BJP.
Later speaking to the reporters, she said, "I have campaigned in several places and received positive response from the voters."