After days of what has been a tepid campaign, Friday saw political parties converge on Hebbal with the hope for a final thrust on the last day for campaigning.
Large rallies from the three major parties effectively choked traffic movement in the narrow bylanes of the eastern part of Hebbal constituency.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Union Ministers M. Venkaiah Naidu and D.V. Sadananda Gowda — the incumbent MP — and the former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy campaigned in the constituency.
Mr. Siddaramaiah went on a roadshow with Congress candidate C.K. Abdul Rahman Sharief. It was matched by a motorbike rally by the Bharatiya Janata Party. Mr. Naidu and Mr. Gowda addressed crowds from atop their banner-laden truck, seeking votes for Y.A. Narayanaswamy.
JD(S) candidate Ismail Shariff Nana and his entourage — which included a man draped in a green sari holding a sheaf of paddy to mimic the party symbol — walked through all the eight wards of the constituency.
Residents who spoke to The Hindu felt the fanfare, banners, major door-to-door drives, and the pasting of hundreds of pamphlets on the streets and shops to draw the voters’ attentions had been missing, though it has been called an important byelection.
“The canvassing has been unlike that of the past. I think, the turnout will be low too,” said Zubair Ahmed, a resident of Bhoopasandra.
Candidates too seemed concerned about the turnout. After the customary, “please vote for us”, a candidate going through residential areas of Sanjaynagar, appealed, “Please vote … please do not waste your democratic right … Please take these elections seriously.”
Shankar, who resides in Ganganagar ward, believes the lack of eligible candidates or local strongmen has led to local leaders keeping away from intense campaigning. “There are no good candidates to draw crowds or even generate any enthusiasm. The locals have not seen them before the canvassing. Apart from people paid to spread the word, even party workers do not seem entirely keen,” he observed.
However, despite strong monitoring by the Election Commission, whether it is Geddalahalli, V. Nagenahalli or Munireddypalya some voters testified to receiving between Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 from candidates for their vote.
Quotes:
Development schemes will be better implemented if the MLA is from the ruling party. With the schemes planned, we will change the face of Bengaluru in two-and-a-half years.
Siddaramaiah,Chief Minister, who talked of the unity in the party
The corrupt Congress government in Karnataka is engulfed in group politics. There is lethargy in administration. This byelection is a great opportunity to send it a signal.
M. Venkaiah Naidu,Union Minister, who blamed the Congress for slow growth at the national level
He has assured us of his support and he need not come personally to the streets to canvass. His grouse is with the JD(S) supremo and not with me personally.
Ismail Sharieff Nana,JD(S) candidate, on the absence of MLA Zameer Ahmed Khan in the campaign
