The makeshift helipad at a government school ground in Harapanahalli, about three hours from Hubballi, is watered to keep the dust down. But when veteran leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah바카라s blue chopper rattles down to land, it still kicks up a mini storm. He is here to campaign for Congress candidate, N Kotresh, and address a rally in the town. Siddaramaiah asks us to come to a party worker바카라s house to meet him after the rally, where he will be going for lunch. 바카라So far the election is looking good. According to my assessment바카라I have been campaigning for a long time, for the Janata Dal, the Janata Party and for the Congress바카라I can tell that people this time are with the Congress. They want change; the BJP will not come back to power. They have not projected anyone to be their next leader or the chief minister,바카라 says Siddaramaiah, who at 75, has announced that this will be his last election.
The Congress hasn바카라t announced its chief ministerial candidate either. Is there a tussle between him and Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar (DKS)? 바카라Yes, he is a contender. The practice is that the Congress has never projected a chief minister, particularly in Karnataka. It goes by a very democratic process. The elected MLAs will decide and will give their opinion. Then the 바카라high command바카라 will take a decision,바카라 he says. Party workers we meet say the fight for the top post between him and DKS will ratchet up if the Congress gets a majority, and whose supporters win more seats. 바카라Siddaramaiah is a more senior leader and he has the experience of running a government. DKS is the challenger. The final decision will be of the 바카라high command바카라, DKS listens to Sonia Gandhi,바카라 says a three-time Congress MLA.
We pass through Varuna, near Mysuru, where Siddaramaiah is contesting. Here, the majority are Lingayats. Some voters say it will not be a cakewalk for him, as his main opponent is BJP바카라s V. Somanna, who is a Lingayat leader. We meet Siddaramaiah바카라s son and the present MLA from Varuna, Yathindra Siddaramaiah, a mild-mannered medical doctor, at a wedding hall, where he is addressing Congress party workers. He says he has nurtured the constituency and given it up for his father this time. 바카라We are in a strong position. But we have to convince the voters to stay with us. Yes, Lingayats are the majority here and our opponent from the BJP is a Lingayat. BJP바카라s IT cell, which is a factory of lies, is very active. But we have set up a clear narrative,바카라 he says.
The rally at Harapanahalli is well-attended and Siddaramaiah has, so far, lived up to his stature; not making any personal jibes against BJP leaders and talking mostly about the Congress바카라 promises in the manifesto. But as we reach the shrill end of the campaigning in Karnataka, the question remains: can the Congress hold up to the arsenal stored in the opponent바카라s camp?
