The Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) may have joined hands to govern the State, but in Rajarajeshwarinagar (R.R. Nagar) Assembly constituency, which goes to the polls on Monday, the two parties are not only taking on each other, but also a resurgent BJP.
On May 8, days before the rest of the State went to the polls, at least 9,564 EPICs (Electors Photo Identity Cards) were seized from an apartment at Jalahalli. Muniratna, MLA, was named as an accused in the case, while the polls were put off till May 28.
Much has changed in the political scenario since, with pre-poll rivals becoming post-poll coalition partners. However, in one of the biggest constituencies in Bengaluru — it stretches from Rajarajeshwarinagar in the south to Peenya in the north — a tight three-party fight is expected. Over 4.71 lakh people are eligible to vote on Monday. While Congress has fielded the incumbent MLA; the BJP has fielded Muniraju Gowda, secretary of the State unit; and the JD(S) G.H. Ramachandra, a former councillor who left the BJP only in April. There are 11 other candidates from various parties or as Independents.
On the last day of the campaign, JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda held a roadshow for the party candidate and delinked his campaign from his party’s alliance with the Congress. From the BJP, B.S. Yeddyurappa held rallies in which he played up the “betrayal of the people’s mandate” by the Congress and the JD(S). For the Congress, Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara and senior leader D.K. Shivakumar too visited the constituency to seek votes for Mr. Muniratna.
Security arrangements
The city police will turn R.R. Nagar segment into a fortress on Monday.
All the 421 polling booths in the constituency will be guarded by either Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) or Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) personnel apart from civilian police.
Police Commissioner T. Suneel Kumar said 10 companies of the CAPF and 10 platoons of the KSRP, each company and platoon made up of at least 100 people, had been deployed in the constituency.
