Public campaigning in Gulbarga and Yadgir districts came to an end on Friday.
However, unlike previous elections, there was no rush by star campaigners to make one last effort to sway public support towards their candidates. None of the senior State- or national-level leaders from any political party visited Gulbarga or Yadgir districts on Friday. The parties seem to have entrusted the responsibility of door-to-door campaigning on May 4 to their local leaders.
Prominent among those who campaigned for their party candidates in Gulbarga and Yadgir districts are All-India Congress Committee president and United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh, BSP supremo and the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, and the former Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani.
Some campaigners, such as Ms. Mayawati and Deputy Chief Minister K.S. Eshwarappa, attracted the Election Commission’s attention for breaching the poll code.
While campaigning in Jewargi for the party candidate, Ms. Mayawati was involved in a fracas with election officials. She reportedly snatched back a sum of about Rs. 1 lakh, and did not allow officials to count it. A case was registered against her for violating the election code. When the BSP complained against the officials, the Election Commission upheld the decision to file a case against her.
Mr. Eshwarappa was found carrying more than the stipulated Rs. 50,000 during his campaign in Yadgir. A case was registered against him as well.
