Polling for the byelection to the Hebballi Zilla Panchayat constituency, necessitated by the murder of BJP member Yogeeshgouda Goudar, will be held on Sunday.
The bypoll is crucial for the Congress and the BJP as a win or loss will decide the fate of the ruling party in the 22-member Dharwad Zilla Panchayat.
The BJP had 11 members and Congress 11 in the panchayat after the elections.
The BJP managed to lure Shivanand Karigar, Congress rebel candidate from the Byahatti constituency, into its fold and staked claim for power. He was made the vice-president of the zilla panchayat.
Congress leaders, including district in-charge Minister Vinay Kulkarni, are making all-out efforts to woo voters keeping an eye on the possibility of staking claim for power if it wins the bypoll. Mr. Kulkarni extensively canvassed for the Congress candidate Channabasappa Matti in the last two days and make door-to-door visits. The BJP, however, is banking on sympathy votes. It has fielded Mallamma Goudar, wife of Yogeeshgouda. BJP leaders such as Pralhad Joshi, MP, the former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, Arvind Bellad, MLA, zilla panchayat president Chaitra Shirur, and Mr. Karigar too have campaigned extensively. Mallamma was joined by her four kids in the campaign.
The Janata Dal (Secular), which entered the fray in the last minute by fielding Rudrappa Hosur, had the former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, the former Minister Basavaraj Horatti and N.H. Konaraddi, MLA, leading the campaign.
