Months before the elections to State Assembly was announced, Channapatna was witness to a few serious skirmishes between the Janata Dal (Secular) and BJP workers, pointing to what could be a closely fought election. Inching closer to the election day, the land of toys promises an engaging battle as former Chief Minister and JD(S) candidate H.D. Kumaraswamy and former Minister and BJP candidate C.P. Yogeshwar head into a seemingly photo finish.
While Mr. Kumaraswamy defeated Mr. Yogeshwar, a five-time legislator, in 2018 with comparative ease, it may not be the case this time since the BJP candidate had been planning a meticulous comeback for the past year or so, BJP insiders say. The battle is also intense as the JD(S) believes that the BJP candidate played a crucial role in bringing its government down in 2019. This election is being seen as a vote for Mr. Kumaraswamy as the “future Chief Minister” against the sympathy factor for Mr. Yogeshwar.
In this Vokkaliga dominated constituency, where votes of Muslims, SCs, and OBCs decide the outcome, the Congress has fielded Gangadhara S. from the fishermen community. Women will play an important role with their numbers higher than men.
Question of access
The BJP workers are campaigning on the basis of the work by Mr. Yogeshwar, who is credited for rejuvenating tanks that increased ground water level, in the region mostly dependent on sericulture, dairy farming, and coconut among other crops. “Mr. Kumaraswamy was not only inaccessible but did not visit villages. He kept himself busy with State and Ramanagara affairs,” alleged Bengaluru-based techie H.R. Ranjith, who has taken leave to campaign for the BJP.
Dismissing the allegations, an aide close to Mr. Kumaraswamy said that the former Chief Minister attended every KDA meeting, and implemented works at the village level. Harish, a resident of Channapatna and a JD(S) voter, said: “Mr. Kumaraswamy is among the most accessible politicians. He has taken forward the water schemes and ensured water at villages. Concrete roads have been laid.” Long-time political observers say that both candidates have worked for the constituency, and there will be a bitter fight at every booth level, with small-margin victory predicted.
“Villages are divided in their political affiliations and no one can say that either JD(S) or BJP have full support from a particular village or a hobli. The winning margin could be very small. Migration of local leaders to other parties will also be a contributor to the election outcome,” said a gram panchayat worker on condition of anonymity. For example, in the gram panchayat at Chakkere, the native of Mr. Yogeshwar, out of 14 members, 10 members are JD(S) workers though the elections are not held on symbols.
The BJP believes that the OBC votes, which went in favour of Congress candidate H.M. Revanna, a Kuruba, during 2018, resulting in Mr. Yogeshwar’s defeat, is likely to come back. Mr. Kumaraswamy is expected to garner the crucial Muslim votes in the light of polarisation effort by the BJP.
Local business hit
The battle ground - once buzzing with tourists - is no more the same as the newly-laid Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway has carried the bulk of the traffic away from the town, damaging many businesses. However, Hameed, a toy seller, believes that though it has affected thousands in Channapatna alone, it is not seen as an election issue.
While the BJP workers believe that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally near Channapatna will provide a boost, retired teacher Suresh B., a resident of Bhyarapatna, asked: “Mr. Modi did not speak on local issues or price rise. Why is he coming to campaign so frequently and what was the reason for his absence when we faced floods?”
