BENGALURU: The BJP is adopting a multipronged strategy in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, deploying a battery of ministers comprising old BJP loyalists and new crossover leaders, in a bid to garner votes for candidate N Muniratna in the November 3 bypoll. The thinking is that the old leaders will woo traditional voters, and the turncoats will bring in the new ones and fence-sitters.
On Wednesday, BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel formed teams for RR Nagar and Sira assembly constituencies. For RR Nagar, Kateel chose three ministers from Bengaluru — R Ashoka from the old camp, and ST Somashekar and Byrathi Basavaraju from the new team. This apart, there is former minister Aravind Limbavali, CM’s political secretary SR Vishwanath and others, who also represent Bengaluru. According to a senior BJP leader, RR Nagar is a peculiar constituency.
It is one of the biggest geographically, covering almost 30km, and skirting the city from Tumakuru Road, Mysuru Road and Kanakapura Road along the border with neighbouring districts. RR Nagar was carved out of Uttarahalli assembly constituency a few years ago. Of 4.5 lakh voters, more than 1 lakh voters are Vokkaligas. The old region of Uttarahalli has a good chunk of BJP voters, which is Ashoka’s area of focus. Towards Tumakuru Road is Yeshwantpur assembly constituency, represented by Somashekar, who has a hold on this side of RR Nagar.
Thus, both Vokkaliga leaders will be covering the two vote bases of RR Nagar. With the Kurubas making up over 50,000 voters, and playing a significant role in any candidate’s victory, Byrathi Basavaraju has been brought in, said a senior BJP leader on condition of anonymity.
Aravind Limbavali, an old loyalist who is aspiring for ministership, has been assigned to woo Dalit voters as he is from the Bhovi caste that falls under SC. In 2013, Muniratna, then in the Congress, got 71,000 votes against the JDS candidate’s 52,000 votes. In 2018, Muniratna got over 1 lakh votes, while the BJP got 82,000 votes. This time, it’s a challenge for BJP to shift Muniratna’s Congress votes and also retains its traditional voters.
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