Severely hit by scams, internal squabbles and scandals, the ruling party BJP appears to be facing an uphill task in retaining its lead position in the elections to three graduates and three teachers constituencies which will be held on Sunday.
The Congress party meanwhile is intent on using this election to eat into BJP’s vote base in the Malnad and coastal districts. Janata Dal (S), another key player in the state politics, is looking forward to consolidating its position in the Old Mysore region. Among six constituencies, Bengaluru Graduates constituency has witnessed a high pitched battle between veteran BJP leader, Ramchandra Gowda and IIM-B professor Ashwin Mahesh. South-west Graduates constituency is in the limelight where Legislative Council chairman, D.H. Shankarmuthy is testing his fortune for the fifth consecutive term.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a senior leader in the ruling party observed that the election to these constituencies will be a litmus test for the ruling party’s popularity as elections to these six constituencies are spread across 23 of the 30 districts. “Barring former chief minister, B.S. Yeddyurappa, every BJP leader has been roped in to campaign, demonstrating how seriously the party has taken these elections,” the source claimed. Congress party leaders said they had thrown their resources into the battle to prove they were a formidable alternative to BJP at the national as well as the state level.