Congress, JD(S) step up campaign in Chamundeshwari

Mysore, Nov 26 (UNI) The campaign in the high stakes poll clash between Congress and Janata Dal(S) the main contenders for the December four by-poll for Chamundeshwari assembly segment has reached a crescendo despite more than a week is still left for the polling.

The two parties have considered the election as most prestigeous with Congress pitting former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who quit the seat as a JD(S) member and joined the national party following a tiff with JD(S) President H D Deve Gowda. This has forced the former Prime Minister to take take the election as a prestige issue and plunge into active campaigning.

Though the outcome of the poll would not have any bearing on the JD(S)-BJP coailition government in the state, the stakes has remained very high. While the Congress state unit President Mallikarjun Kharge predicts that the government would fold up after its debacle in the election, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said it would have no bearing on the performance of the ten-month old government.

The by-poll has already seen enough action A S Guruswamy, as former JD(S) MLA from the segment, revolting against the party leaders and contesting as a JD(U) candidate and Congress and JD(U) filing complaints to EC against JD(S) for obstructing their campaign.

On top of had came the report of JD(U) central leaders wanting to expel Mr Gowda for alligning with communal Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka.

The segment, forming part of Mysore city and the surrounding villages, was formed in 1978 after bifurcation Mysore and T Narasipura segments. This is the second largest constituency in the state after the Uttarahalli in Bangalore rural district.

On a visit to the villages close to the city, one can witness instensity and the high pitch at which the campaign was being done.

Cast factor was being intensly persued by the political parties not bothering about the election code which was against it.

Top guns of various parties have made mysore virtually astheir second home with Mr Kumaraswamy staying in the city more than the state capital Bangalore.

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