HUBBALLI : Campaigning for the Shiggaon assembly by-election reached its crescendo on Monday ahead of public canvassing ending at 5.30 pm. Amid the cacophony of leaders targeting each other, the real issues concerning the public were not addressed during electioneering. It is now for the public to decide who their representative would be when they cast their vote on Wednesday.
Congress, which won the seat last in 1994, has worked hard for its candidate Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan, while BJP, which has held the seat since 2004, is sure of the victory of Bharat Bommai, son of former CM Basavaraj Bommai. Making it a high-profile fight, CM Siddaramaiah canvassed here for three days. KPCC chief and DyCM DK Shivakumar and other leaders held a series of public meetings.
For BJP, bigwigs like former CM BS Yediyurappa, LoP in Assembly R Ashoka, and others campaigned. What is worrying BJP leaders is that Basavaraj Bommai trailed by 8,500 votes in the segment when he was contesting the Lok Shaba election. This was contrary to BJP winning the seat by over 36,000 votes in the 2023 Assembly polls.
Congress, by fielding a Muslim candidate, is banking on the votes of minorities and Dalits, while BJP is relying strongly on upper class voters, mainly Lingayats, and other backward castes, except the Kurubas. The Waqf issue gave BJP a significant issue to target Congress. Whether it has had any impact on the voter will be known on November 23, the result day.