MANGALURU: Venues of kambala, yakshagana, nemotsava, temple jatras and other religious and cultural ceremonies have turned out to be must-visit places for candidates fighting the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as campaigning turned hectic during the weekend in Dakshina Kannada district.
Both BJP candidate Capt. Brijesh Chowta and his Congress rival R Padmaraj were on a temple visit spree as places of worship attracted huge crowds for various religious and cultural events. Though they are not allowed to openly campaign on temple premises, these places provide them an opportunity to indulge in informal campaigning as they interact with prominent persons and a large number of people gathered at the venues.
The candidates’ dependence on temples was such that while Chowta’s Saturday itinerary had a list of over a dozen temples in just one Assembly segment - Mulki-Moddbidre, Padmaraj could not afford to miss nemotsava at Enmuru Sri Koti Chennayya Kshetra in Puttur. By the time he reached the venue, it was 2.30 am on Sunday. On Saturday, after attending the party meeting in Bengaluru, he also managed to visit the Surya-Chandra Jodikere Kambala in Venur of Belthangady.
The religious and cultural ceremonies peak in the region during the summer months as people tend to get busy in agricultural activities once the monsoon sets in. Apart from offering pujas and greeting devotees with folded hands, the candidates also make it a point to meet the temple trustees, give them a patient hearing, and promise to fulfill their demands once they are elected.
Before entering places of worship or cultural events, the candidates and their party workers ensure that they do not carry shawls or flags that contain their party symbols to avoid action for poll code violation.
Sources said places of religious and cultural events provide a platform for candidates to better connect with people. “Some prominent people avoid meeting some candidates at their house due to various reasons. But they will have no problem meeting them during such events. Hence, the candidates do not miss visiting such venues,” a source pointed out.