The Sira assembly constituency in Tumkur witnessed a high-decibel election campaign on Friday after Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy took out rallies in the Vokkaliga heartland that has traditional voted for the JDS and the Congress party.
The bypoll on November 3 was necessitated following the death of sitting JDS MLA B. Satyanarayana. While the bypoll outcome will not impact the stability of the BJP government, it will sure be a litmus test for the chief minister who is facing a rebellion within his own party. The JDS is hoping to retain the seat to reassert its dominance in the Old Mysuru region, even as the Congress party is hoping for a revival under the new KPCC chief D.K. Shivakumar.
Yediyurappa, who had kept a low-profile after his recovery from COVID-19, finally took the plunge even as the bypoll campaign entered its last lap.
“Within six months, I will ensure that the Madalur lake is filled and I will be here to inaugurate it. This is Yediyurappa’s promise and I always keep my word like I did in KR Pet (Mandya). I urge you to ensure our candidate wins by a margin of 25,000 votes,” said Yediyurappa.
“No one in Sira taluk should be homeless. We will sanction Rs 5 lakh each to build the houses,” said the CM, promising homes and funds for irrigation projects.
State BJP vice-president and the chief minister’s son B.Y. Vijayendra, who is leading the campaign in Sira said that within a fortnight into the campaign, the region was witnessing the saffron surge.
“It is an indication of change as people are in favour of the BJP. Both Congress and JDS criticised me when I cited the example of KR Pet which saw development after people voted for the BJP and elected Narayana Gowda. After he became the minister, the constituency saw development and the chief minister allotted more than Rs 600 crore for the irrigation projects. I assure you we will develop Sira on the lines of KR Pet. Sira will become a model taluk too,” said Vijayendra.
“Both the Congress and JDS are shedding tears trying to garner sympathy. The BJP is here to wipe your tears,” added Vijayendra referring to the JDS seeking vote on sympathy factor for their candidate Ammajjamma, wife of the late B. Satyanarayana, who passed away last year. Congress candidate T.B. Jayachandra, a former minister had lost the 2018 Assembly elections.
BJP MP from Mysuru Pratap Simha, a Vokkaliga leader, indirectly reminded the voters in the community not to go by their caste affiliation but to choose development. “Don’t waste your vote as your vote can help JDS or Congress to increase their tally of seats by just one. But it cannot make either H.D. Kumaraswamy or D.K. Shivakumar as the chief minister. Instead, you should vote for the BJP for the overall development of your constituency,” said Simha, who also assured that his government would pursue the long pending demand to recognise the Kunchitiga community as OBC category.
A day after former prime minister H.D. Devegowda campaigned in Sira, the JDS camp seemed to have gained momentum. Kumaraswamy, who toured the taluk, promised to take out a ‘Padayatra’ from Sira to Bengaluru if the BJP government failed to release the funds to fill up the 65 lakes and tanks in the constituency.
“The project to fill the 65 lakes was approved during my first stint as the chief minister. It was decided to draw 19 TMC of water from the Upper Bhadra project to provide water to Chitradurga, Tumkur, Kolar and Chikkaballapura. But it is still pending as both the Congress and BJP, which were in power in the last 10 years did little. Today, they are making election promises,” he said.
On Thursday, Congress leaders, including M.B. Patil and Dinesh Gundu Rao, led by former chief minister Siddaramaiah, took out a massive rally in Sira.
During the rally, Siddaramaiah had alleged that the BJP was trying to bribe the voters.
“In KR Pet, the BJP distributed money and won the bypoll. Vijayayendra and Hassan MLA Preetham Gowda gave money to voters in KR Pet. This time again, the BJP is trying buy out votes in Sira. But the people of Sira want Jayachandra back as their MLA as all development work came to a standstill in the last two and a half years (under the JDS MLA),” alleged Siddaramaiah.
