Channapatna heads for photo finish as campaign concludes

'Toy Town' Channapatna is witnessing a neck-and-neck battle between five-time local MLA and Congress candidate CP Yogeshwar and JD(S) canddate and grandson of HD Deve Gowda, Nikhil Kumaraswamy in the bypolls scheduled to happen on Wednesday. (Nov. 13). All public meetings came to an end on Monday 5 pm as per Election Commission (EC) orders.

Yogeshwar has built his campaign around his work in the constituency for five terms. He was the Channapatna MLA from 1999 to 2018 only losing to JD(S) man MC Ashwath, who was MLA between 2009 and 2011. Yogeshwar’s supporters style him “adhunika Bhagiratha” (modern version of the king in Hindu mythology, who brought down the river Ganges to earth) and “niravari nayaka” (leader who got irrigation works done). Yogeshwar is credited with rejuvenation of 17 of the 107 lakes in the parched Channapatna taluk. He asserts that the Congress being the party in power, will help him bring development to the constituency.

CPY hopes to bounce back: Yogeshwar told News Trail that JD(S) bigwig HD Kumaraswamy displaced him as the MLA in 2018 and defeated him in 2023 by telling 'tall tales' to voters, adding that he was confident of victory this time. Kumaraswamy vacated Channapatna in June after becoming the Mandya MP. “I have done good work for the public in the past since 1999.

Kumaraswamy came here and gave people a lot of hope that he would become the CM. It was emotional blackmail. He won but didn’t do any work. This time, he has brought his son (Nikhil) here and people are opposing it. They will repose their faith in me because of the work I’ve done,” Yogeshwar said.

Nikhil banks on HDK charm: Nikhil on the other hand is trying to rebut the narrative by telling voters that Kumaraswamy did bring grants to Channapatna and help set up a girl’s college and hostels. He promises that Kumaraswamy in his capacity as the Union Minister of Heavy Industries, Steel and Public Enterprises will bring 25,000 jobs to the town by emulating the Hubballi-Dharwad industrial corridor in the Ramanagar-Channapatna region. “The wind is blowing in Nikhil’s favour. He will definitely win,” senior JD(S) MLC KA Thippeswamy told News Trail. JD(S) was reduced to 19 seats in the Assembly last year and they’re desperate to retain Channapatna, the only segment they represent in Ramanagar district.

On the other hand, Deputy CM DK Shivakumar wants to avenge his brother DK Suresh’s defeat in the Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha seat to BJP’s Dr CN Manjunath. Notably, both parties have been accused of bribing voters. Meanwhile, a section of voters are leaning towards Yogeshwar because of his past work.