The stage is set for polling in the byelections to Sindgi and Hangal Assembly constituencies which have been projected as a “litmus test” for Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s leadership.
After the high decibel public campaign spanning over a fortnight, there was a lull in door-to-door campaign in both the constituencies, as the candidates and their followers chose to focus more on closed door meetings rather than visiting households for the final appeal for votes. On the eve of polling also, there was no active campaigning on Friday.
Byelections, being held after the change of leadership in the State BJP from B.S. Yediyurappa to Basavaraj Bommai, would be remembered for the hectic campaigning by political leaders of all parties, particularly the ruling BJP.
A host of Ministers from the ruling party camped in these poll-bound constituencies for several days and in some cases, extending to over a week before the deadline for public campaigning ended. For most of the leaders, including those of the Congress, Hubballi, the heart of North Karnataka, became a nodal centre from where they travelled to the two constituencies.
Politically, these bypolls are crucial for Mr. Bommai, who has to prove his leadership after taking over from Mr. Yediyurappa. And, he also has to prove his mettle to be “eligible” for leading the party in the general elections in 2023.
This would be remembered as an election which saw hectic campaigning by the Chief Minister who spent over eight days in the region for the purpose. And, this would also be remembered as a campaign wherein leaders depended heavily on caste-based vote appeal. If the local electorate and party workers are to be believed, the bypolls also saw the highest circulation of money. While the Congress, the BJP and the Janata Dal(S) leaders made allegations of money being spent in crores, no specific complaints were made. There were also no reports of money seizure.
Meanwhile, the Vijayapura and Haveri district administration have made elaborate arrangements for polling scheduled to be held from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday. Deputy Commissioners and District Election Officers for Haveri and Vijayapura Sanjay Shettennavar and P. Sunilkumar spent the day overseeing the preparations and visited mustering centres from which election teams were despatched to various polling stations. For the record, Hangal has 2,04,481 voters, 263 polling stations and 13 candidates, while Sindgi has 2,34,584 voters, 297 polling stations and six candidates in the fray.
