With just 10 days to go to the first phase of elections to 14 Lok Sabha constituencies in Karnataka on April 26, voters have a sensory overload with voice calls, SMSes, print and television advertisements by candidates appealing for votes.
Candidates in the fray in Bengaluru and other cities are literally on the run — visiting temples, meeting residents in apartment complexes, meeting commuters on metro trains, shaking hands with walkers in parks, holding exclusive meetings with members of professional bodies and consumers in markets. With voters turnout just about 54% in in the three constituencies of Bengaluru city in 2019, the reachout has been especially hectic.
Candidates meeting groups of professionals
Visits of candidates to apartment complexes have elicited a mixed response. While first-time voters seem excited, others say a dozen vehicles following candidates cause inconvenience. They are also put off by candidates visiting the apartments behind schedule.
“A party candidate visited our apartment two hours late on Sunday,” said the residents of an apartment in Vijayanagar. Candidates hopping from one apartment to next, spending 10-15 minutes each, some enthusiastic voters rushing to take selfies and shouting slogans often put others off.
“It has been a major challenger for candidates reaching out to middle class voters. It’s an educated, but untapped constituency,‘‘ said Tejasvi Surya, BJP MP and candidate in Bengaluru South, while addressing the residents at a residential complex on Sunday, appealing to them to exercise their franchise.
Taking public transport
Taking a different route, Bengaluru North Congress candidate M.V. Rajeev Gowda travelled in a metro train to campaign in K.R. Puram on Monday, just as Bengaluru Rural BJP candidate Dr. C.N. Manjunath had done a few days ago. Mr. Gowda also travelled in a bus with an intention of not only appealing for votes, but also creating awareness about the use of mass transport and pollution control. He met the legal fraternity and sought their support. Other candidates too have held meetings with specific professional and business groups.
