MANDYA: While the bypoll battle for Mandya Lok Sabha seat has turned into a prestige issue for the JD(S), the animosity between cadres of coalition partners the Congress and the JD(S) in this Vokkaliga heartland has presented an ideal opportunity for the BJP to expand its base in the district.
The JD(S) is comfortably placed with all eight assembly segments coming under Mandya Lok Sabha constituency being represented by its own MLAs.
But the decision of Congress to give up the seat to JD(S) in Mandya has triggered strong resistance from the local party leaders and cadres.
The show of bonhomie between former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda has also proved a futile exercise at grassroots level.
Though the political situation and caste combination in Vokkaliga dominated constituency give a clear edge to the JD(S) candidate L R Shivarame Gowda in the November 3 bypoll, the Congress, which had won four of the six previous elections to Mandya Lok Sabha seat and won majority Assembly seats in 1999, has divided the party rank and file over giving up the seat.
Sensing the discord between Congress and JD(S) local leaders, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy is playing the emotional card reiterating his love for people of Mandya, playing up loan waiver and projecting BJP as anti-Mandya.
Saffron party could turn into an alternative to JD(S)
The uneasy pact between Congress and JD(S) could provide an ideal opportunity for the BJP to occupy the political space vacated by Congress and emerge as the only alternative to JD(S) in the coming days.
The BJP that did well in assembly elections in Mandya, Srirangapatna and also in few other pockets is keen to seize the opportunity. The saffron party leaders hope that many Congress leaders would do shadow work for the BJP candidate.
BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa is reaching out to disgruntled Congress leaders, who are opposing the pact with JD(S), including former Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy, JD(S) ticket aspirant Lakshmi Ashwin Gowda and others.
Delay in waiver irks many
Farmers and people of Mandya are not happy with the delay in loan waiver and several conditions imposed to avail the benefits. Some of them are also not happy with the candidature of L R Shivarame Gowda, a party hopper in past two decades. The state government is also silent on reviving Pandavapura sugar factory. AHINDA leaders (Kannada acronym for minorities, backwards and dalits), who had rallied behind Congress to ensure victory of actress Ramya from Mandya Lok Sabha seat in the past, are at crossroads.