The stakes are high for the Congress, which is making a strong bid to regain its lost base in old Mysore districts amid a stiff challenge by the JD(S). The Congress won 24 seats last time. The JD(S), which made surprise inroads into several Congress bastions in the 2004 elections, won in 34 constituencies in this belt and had a good showing in Vokkaliga-dominated belts of Mandya, Hassan and Tumkur. The Congress is going all out to win majority seats, seeking to overcome the challenge being thrown by JD(S) and BJP which is also trying to gain foothold in the Vokkaliga belt. The Congress, BJP and JDS have fielded candidates in all the segments facing election in this phase, while the BSP is contesting in 86.
For all key players, particularly the Congress and BJP, the focus has been on Bangalore city, which accounts for 28 out of 89 seats. The Congress, BJP and JD(S) have promised special attention to address infrastructural needs of the cosmopolitan city.
The Congress and BJP have approached the electorate on the stability plank and are seeking a clear majority for their respective party governments, reminding them of the 'bitter experiences' they had with the two coalition governments in the last four years. But a contradiction seemed to be haunting JD(S), which hardly laid emphasis on the stability factor. The party has come under attacks from the Congress and BJP for betraying them.
BJP's main slogan is "punish betrayers" after the JD(S) let it down on the power transfer issue. JD(S) was not only starved for campaigners as a majority of its front ranking leaders like M P Prakash, G T Devegowda, B N Bacchegowda and half of its 58 MLAs of the dissolved assembly bid goodbye to the party, accusing Gowda and family of behaving in a dictatorial manner and for betraying BJP over power transfer", but also for candidates in several constituencies.
However, it was a case of "surplus and rebellion" in the Congress and BJP camps, which competed with each other in luring JDS men. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, BJP President Rajnath Singh, its prime ministerial candidate L K Advani, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, H D Devegowda, Kumaraswamy, BJP's chief ministerial nominee B S Yeddyurappa and former Chief Minister S M Krishna of Congress have undertaken electioneering in parts of the state, drumming up voters support for their parties.
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There are 17 women candidates in the fray. The BJP has highest number of five candidates, followed by SP (three), Congress (two) and JD(S) (one). In the 2004 assembly polls, which threw up a three-way fractured verdict, the BJP had won 79, Congress 65, JDS 58, JD(U) 5, Kannada Nadu, CPI(M), Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha, RPI one each and Independents 13.
The electioneering this time in Karnataka, which is the first state to face the polls under the delimitation of constituencies, was shorn of banners, buntings and posters in the wake of curbs imposed by the Election Commission. Public meetings were also few compared to the previous elections, where campaigning was on a high voltage. Candidates were forced to undertake door-to-door campaign to impress voters. The second phase of election will be held on May 16 and the third and final one on May 22.