Campaigning ends for two Karnataka assembly by-polls

BANGALORE - Campaigning ended Saturday for two assembly by-polls in Karnataka — winning which the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and opposition Congress and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) have made a prestige issue.

The nearly two-week campaign to win the Sep 13 by-polls in Kadur in Chikmagalur district and Gulbarga South in Gulbarga district was dominated by the illegal mining issue with the three parties blaming each other for encouraging it.

Votes will be counted Sep 16.

The two by-polls have been necessitated following the death of sitting members, K.M Krishnamurthy of Congress (Kadur) and Chandrashekar Patil Revoor of BJP (Gulbarga South).

Gulbarga South has witnessed intense campaigning by top state leaders of the three parties.

The Congress has fielded Ajay Singh, son of former Karnataka chief minister N. Dharam Singh, while BJP has fielded Sushil Namoshi, a senior party leader. The JD-S has nominated Revoor’s widow Aruna Patil hoping to cash in on the sympathy factor.

While Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa campaigned in Gulbarga South for five days continuously, all senior leaders of state Congress have also canvassed heavily for Ajay Singh.

Winning this seat is of great importance to Congress as Dharam Singh and union Labour Minister Mallikharjun Kharge are considered heavyweights of the district. The Congress had roped in union Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khursheed also to campaign for Ajay Singh.

A victory for JD-S will give a boost to its morale as the party has little presence in north Karnataka. The party campaign was led by former chief minister and state JD-S president H.D. Kumaraswamy. His father and former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda has also canvassed for the party nominee.

Kadur will also see a triangular fight. The Congress has fielded Krishnamurthy’s brother K.M. Kemparaju, while the JD-S and the BJP have renominated the candidates who had lost in the 2008 assembly polls.

The JD-S candidate is party spokesperson and member of the legislative council Y.S.V. Datta and BJP nominee is Y.C. Vishwanath, a medical practitioner in the area.