MYSURU: Foot soldiers and leg work is what the Bharatiya Janata Party is looking for in the Old Mysore region of Hunsur and KR Pet constituencies. The party, which boasts of a good organisational network, is now faced with this challenge on the ground. Both Congress and JDS, however, are all smiles as their ground workers have already done the spadework. As the stage is set for the crucial triangle battle in the bypolls, the BJP is yet to visit all villages or do door-to-door campaign at the panchayat or booth level.
The absence of a strong organisational base has handicapped BJP candidates, A H Vishwanath in Hunsur and KC Narayana Gowda in KR Pet, to make an effective impact on the voters. Although the BJP has made its presence felt giving both the constituencies generous funds to launch development works, brought in Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa to hold rallies, and deputed ministers and leaders to drum up support for the candidates — all this could not do much in villages due to the poor presence of its cadres.
Despite the party having a strong caste voice with the presence of Nayaka community leader V Sriramulu, Dalit MP V Srinivasa Prasad, Vishwanath himself a Kuruba and young MP Prathap Simha, it is evident that lack of cadre-based campaign in both these constituencies has turned out to be a bottleneck. The result: In most villages, voters had no clue of their candidate’s visit or the campaign.
Although party candidate Vishwanath has managed to bring his supporters and community men to campaign and conduct separate meetings, there is a need for better cadre strength to win over sympathisers and bring fence-sitters to booths, for which the BJP is known. The scene is no different in KR Pet. There is no party poll machinery at work here and party candidate Narayana Gowda is facing an uphill task. Party workers feel that home visits still play a key role in influencing voters.
Both the Congress and JDS, however, have a strong cadre presence at booths and panchayat level. These parties have also managed to bring in netas and workers from neighbouring constituencies to keep up the tempo.BJP leader Shivanna. in-charge in Akki Hebbal of KR Pet, said that they would bring in more cadres from other places to campaign for candidates.