Battle royale on the cards in Chamundeswari constituency

Mysore, Dec 2 (UNI) This royal city, which has witnessed many battles in its history, is perhaps witnessing the toughest ever electoral battle in independent India, with former Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah taking on a political novice in his citadel of Chamundeswari Assembly seat in the December four bypoll.

Unprecedented caste wars and unparalleled campaigns took electioneering for this high-voltage battle to a new high, with the supremacy of Mr Siddaramaiah on one hand and former Prime Minister and JD(S) President H D Deve Gowda and Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on the other, at stake.

The bypoll was necessitated following Mr Siddaramaiah's resignation from the constituency before he joined the Congress. He had won the seat on a JD(S) ticket in the previous elections.

It was a shadow battle between Mr Siddaramaiah and Mr Gowda, though the former would take on a relatively unknown JD(S) candidate Shivabasappa.

The byelection had evoked keen interest as it might decide the political future of Mr Siddaramaiah and Mr Kumaraswamy facing the first litmus test after assuming power in the state.

Besides the two 12 other candidates, including former legislator A S Guruswamy (JD-U) who had defeated Mr Siddaramaiah once earlier and Samajwadi Party nominee B Karunakar, are in the fray.

The campaign, which was virulent and intense, came to a close this evening. Both the Congress and the JD(S) along with its ruling partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spared no efforts in mustering support of the electorate.

The Election Commission also had to take cognisance of complaints to change the Returning Officer and transfer three police officials, besides serving notices to the Chief Minister and two of his ministers for violating the model code of conduct.

On his part, Mr Gowda protested against the EC's act and even sat on a protest, alleging that the byelection was being held under an undeclared emergency and accused it of acting on the diktats of the United Progressive Alliance Government at the Centre.

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