A weakened Congress, dogged by unabated desertions of its MLAs, and JD(S), battling similar odds, are taking on a combative BJP in Karnataka, which is keen to reassert its supremacy in the high-stakes Lok Sabha elections after its victory in the 2008 Assembly polls.
After realising its decades-long dream of installing the first-ever BJP government in the South in last year’s polls, the saffron party in the state has invested much prestige and promised more seats on a platter to its central leaders than 18 of the 28 it notched up in the 2004 General Elections.
Contrary to speculations about the coming together of the Congress and JD(S), the two parties are going it alone, paving way for a three-cornered race, much to the relief of BJP of not having to contend with the combined might of two opposition parties that would have put it in a vulnerable spot.
Not only have the Congress and JD(S) failed to strike an understanding, but also suffered the ignominy of its members quitting and marching past to the BJP, which has netted about a dozen MLAs from both, including a few in the run up to the general elections.
The “operation lotus” under which BJP lured opposition MLAs, continues to bloom, rubbing the salt on the wounds of the Congress and JD(S) as it comes at a time when the two parties are passing through a critical political phase.
JD(S) leader Deve Gowda has fielded his son, former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy from Bangalore Rural, which was part of the erstwhile Kanakapaura constituency. Kumaraswamy had won from Kanakapura on his poll debut in 1996.
For the Congress, it has chosen its veterans like M Mallikarjun Kharge (Gulbarga), N Dharam Singh (Bidar), M Veerappa Moily (Chikballapur) to fight the poll and revive its sagging political fortunes in this southern state.
Karnataka goes to polls in two phases on April 23 in 17 constituencies and on April 30 in 11 constituencies.
There are 419 candidates in fray for the first phase LS polls. Congress candidates Tejaswini (Bangalore Rural) and Krishna Byregowda (Bangalore South) were among the candidates from Karnataka who filed the nominations on the final day for the state’s first phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 23.
The next phase of polls in the state will be held on April 30. Bidar topped the list with 48 candidates, while Bellary had the least at nine.
Congress leaders M Veerappa Moily (Chikkaballapura), Margaret Alva (Uttara Kannada), Jaffar Sharief (Bangalore North) and M Mallikarjuna Kharge (Gulbarga), BJP national general secretary H N Ananthkumar (Bangalore South) and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy of JD(S) (Bangalore Rural) are among the prominent candidates who will try their luck.
The entry of low cost airline pioneer G R Gopinath as an independent in Bangalore South has generated interest.
Constituencies going to polls in this phase with the number of candidates, who have filed nominations, are: Belgaum (13 candidates), Bijapur (15), Gulbarga (16), Raichur (14), Bidar (48), Chikkaballapura (37), Kolar (42), Uttara Kannada (14), Chitradurga (19), Koppal (22), Tumkur (19), Bellary (nine), Chikkodi (18), Bangalore North (33), Bangalore Central (41), Bangalore South (43) and Bangalore Rural (16).
