MYSURU: The election fury in Chamundeshwari constituency is already at its peak even though the three big political biggies are yet to come out with their list of candidates. This constituency — from where Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will be fighting his last electoral battle — is all set for a titanic clash between Congress and JD(S).
With Siddaramaiah campaigning extensively to ensure his victory and the JD(S) first family — led by party supremo H D Deve Gowda and his son Kumaraswamy — batting for G T Devegowda, Chamundeshwari has attracted the attention of the entire state and political observers.
The constituency drew national attention in 2006 when Siddaramaiah won by a mere margin of 257 votes. Chamundeshwari is once again in the limelight after a gap of 12 years with Siddaramaiah deciding to shift here vacating the neighbouring Varuna constituency for his son Yathindra. Siddaramaiah started his political career from Chamundeshwari and has won five times in the past.
Although Siddaramaiah, on several occasions, has maintained that the constituency, which gave him a political rebirth in 2006, has been close to his heart, and wanted to contest his last direct election from the same constituency, political pandits and the Opposition parties view his decision as a step to ensure his son’s victory in Varuna. Much water has flowed under the bridge in the last 12 years — which is too long a time in politics — especially after delimitation of the constituency in 2008.
Prior to delimitation, Chamundeshwari constituency included villages coming under Mysuru taluk and also a few wards of Mysuru City Corporation. The delimitation process gave scope for creation of Varuna constituency with a hobli of Mysuru taluk and also including villages from the erstwhile T Narsipur constituency. Chamundeshwari was formed with the rest of the hoblis and also included urban pockets.
With 36 days still to go for the D-day, leaders of all the three major political parties are at each other’s throats, indulging in mud-slinging and organising political conventions and caste-based meetings.
Knowing that not campaigning extensively for the next one month at Chamundeshwari may upset the calculations for himself and the Congress, the CM is visiting villages and trying to make his homecoming more easy by reaching out to the dominant Vokkaliga community as a few have branded him as being ‘anti-Vokkaliga’ and ‘arrogant.’
Siddaramaiah, who had kept away from making frequent visits to Chamundeshwari after switching over to Varuna, has started to re-connect with the voters of Chamundeshwari. He has managed to patch up the differences with his old friends and also held a separate Vokkaliga conference knowing that it will be difficult for him if the dominant Vokkaliga community throws its weight behind Deve Gowda-Kumaraswamy and G T Devegowda.
In 2006, Siddaramaiah was new to the Congress and held no position while the JD(S) — which was in power then — is now in the opposition. Lack of resources and failing to do some social engineering will make it difficult for JD(S) to take on a strong backward leader like Siddaramaiah. Siddaramaiah is also parallelly reaching out to Veerashaivas and has held closed-door meetings with prominent leaders of the community.
Veerashaivas are more united than ever before and have decided to support Siddaramaiah, said Veerashaiva leader M S S Kumar. The constituency also has Vokkaligas, Dalits, Nayakas, Kurubas, Veerashaivas, minorities and Other Backward Communities.
Aware of his friends-turned-foes — V Srinivasa Prasad, a prominent Dalit leader, and former minister A H Vishwanath, a Kuruba leader — coming out in the open with a call to defeat Siddaramaiah, the latter is reaching out to all sections and not just consolidating AHINDA votes. Srinivasa Prasad has openly expressed his support to G T Devegowda to defeat Siddaramaiah.
The delay in announcing a BJP candidate has led to a strong rumour that both the opposition parties have a tacit understanding to defeat Siddaramaiah. But, Amit Shah himself had brushed aside any such speculation clarifying, “We are a national party and will contest all the 224 seats to wrest power in the state. Neither will we have an alliance nor any understanding with another party for any seat.” The BJP that had only once come second in the 1999 polls has not fared well in other elections. They are keen to improve their performance with an increase in urban voters in the constituency.
With rivals stepping up a campaign over the last couple of days that Siddaramaiah, fearing defeat, will not contest from Chamundeshwari, the Chief Minister rushed to Mysuru and clarified that he will contest from that seat. “I wanted to visit Mysuru while filing my nomination papers. However, I changed my mind and rushed to Mysuru to make sure that people are not confused due to media reports,” he said.
Recalling his emotional relationship of four decades with the people of Chamundeshwari, Siddaramaiah said he can feel the pulse of the people.
Disputing this, JD(S) state chief H D Kumaraswamy said Siddaramaiah did not return to Chamundeshwari out of love . Siddaramaiah shifted to Chamundeshwari from Varuna only to make way for his son, he said.
