MYSURU: The election from Varuna constituency is likely to witness a high-voltage campaign if the sons of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa enter the political arena from here.
Varuna, from where Siddaramaiah managed to win the last polls by a margin of 30,000 votes, is considered to be a safe constituency for the Congress. It is a model one with the government investing more than `4,000 crore on roads, power supply, irrigation, health and other sectors. The caste composition of the constituency with Veerashaivas, followed by Dalits, Kurubas, Nayakas, Upparas, Muslims and others gives Congress an edge.
But Siddaramaiah’s decision to contest from Chamundeshwari to make way for his son Yathindra in Varuna has opened the field for others. The JD(S) and the BJP want to put up a tough fight in both the constituencies. The BJP has decided to bring BSY’s son
B Y Vijayendra to Varuna. Although, KJP candidate Ka Pu Siddalingaswamy came second, securing 54,744 votes as against Siddaramaiah’s 84,385 in the last election, BJP wants to try a new face who could wrest the seat from Congress. Yathindra joined politics after his older brother Rakesh died and has managed to tour the constituency and build a rapport with voters. Siddaramaiah’s son’s rise will see a few hiccups if Vijayendra enters the fray as a BJP candidate as the latter will have the tag and glamour of being the son of chief ministerial candidate Yeddyurappa.
Vijayendra is new to voters of the constituency and his lack of knowledge on local issues could be a disadvantage for the BJP. The lack of urban voters in Varuna is another worry for BJP as it does well in urban areas.
“Yathindra has been frequenting the constituency for two years now. The development works and Yathindra’s simplicity will ensure his victory, “ said former ZP chief S C Basavaraju. BJP, which is relying on Veerashaiva-Dalit combination, is banking on veteran V Srinivasa Prasad. However, BJP insiders say the party is not in a hurry as there are too many names, including that of former DGP Shankar Bidari, doing the rounds.
Siddaramaiah, not moved by the BJP’s strategy, is confident of his son’s rise. He said the people will not just vote by looking at the candidate’s political background and family but also the kind of development works implemented. The development of Varuna into a model constituency will give Yathindra an edge, he had said.
Siddaramaiah is also aware that the defeat of his son will be his own loss and will give a moral boost to his rivals. On the other hand, Vijayendra’s entry will draw more attention and Yeddyurappa and his coterie will also strive to win Varuna. The JD(S), that has no high stakes, has fielded M S Ashok, an engineer who has returned from abroad.