High-decibel campaign for byelections ends

Polling on Saturday in Sindgi and Hangal Assembly constituencies

Congress leaders, including M. Mallikarjun Kharge and Siddaramaiah, at an election rally in Hangal on Wednesday.

The high-decibel campaign for the byelections to Sindgi and Hangal Assembly constituencies concluded on Wednesday, with leaders of all the three major political parties winding up the electioneering with roadshows and public meetings.

In fact, vehicular movement on the main roads of Hangal town came to a standstill in the evening as the venues of the BJP’s roadshow and the Congress’s election rally were close by.

Hangal in Haveri district, where the constituency of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai also lies, saw a mega roadshow by the BJP with him and the former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa leading from the front. The election rally by the Congress was led by Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and former Union Minister and senior leader M. Mallikarjun Kharge.

BJP leaders such as Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and B.S. Yediyurappa at a roadshow in Hangal on Wednesday.

On the last day of the campaign too, mudslinging continued with leaders making personal attacks. Mr. Bommai and Mr. Siddaramaiah traded charges and challenged each other for a public debate once again. Mr. Kharge lambasted Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government on various fronts. “Mr. Modi keeps asking what the Congress had done all these years. But whatever institutions, infrastructure that the Congress had built are now being sold by Mr. Modi,” he said.

The allegations

of use of money power was again raised on the last day of

campaign, with both the Congress and the BJP accusing each other of trying to lure voters. And

the JD(S) accused both the Congress and the BJP on the same lines.

The last day of campaign, Sindgi was comparatively less noisy. BJP Ministers and leaders of the Congress and the JD(S) made appeals, attended group meetings and addressed roadshows.

With the public campaign ending, barring candidates, local leaders, all others left both the constituencies. However, door-to-door campaign will continue. The polling is scheduled for October 30.