Will CM’s week-long blitz spoil Cong’s Hangal hopes?

Vittal Shastri| NT

Will the ruling BJP retain the prestigious Hangal Assmbly seat or will the Congress rebound in state politics by wresting the seat which was once held by the redoubtable C.M. Udasi, a former minister and close associate of former CM B.S. Yediyurappa?

There is no doubt a close fight between the two parties with BJP leaders confident that the high voting  (83.44%) will help it ride to victory and the Congress hoping that the work done by its candidate Srinivas Mane and party workers at the grassroot level during the Covid pandemic, will come to its aid. The outcome of the bypoll will crucially hinge on the votes secured by JD(S) candidate Niyaz Shaikh and an Independent candidate, Nazeersab Savanur, who is also a Hangal town municipal member, as both of them belong to the minority community. If they secure more votes of the community which would have otherwise gone to the Congress candidate, it will benefit the BJP candidate Shivaraj Sajjanar.
In the previous Assembly poll, Hangal had recorded 84.5 per cent voting in Hangal and it was the high voting which helped deceased legislator C M Udasi win. Sources say that the Congress did enjoy an advantage before Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and former CM B.S. Yediyurappa, sensing that  the BJP was on thin ice, joined hands to woo voters.These leaders chalked out strategies to attract different community leaders by deploying ministers till the last day of the campaign.

Bommai has been relying on the development projects launched by him soon after he sworn as CM to woo voters. “Bommai is the son-in-law of Hangal (his wife belongs to the constituency) and he is from Haveri district. The CM’s  assurance that he will  develop Hangal like the adjacent Shiggaon which he represents, has struck a chord with voters. I will win by at least 25,000 votes in the by-election”, claimed BJP candidate Shivaraj Sajjanar.

The Congress top brass including Opposition leader Siddaramaiah and KPCC President D.K. Shivakumar launched an all-out campaign to woo the Muslim, Dalit and Kuruba voters. They also deployed community leaders like Zameer Ahmed Khan to woo voters but it remains to be seen if this is enough to counter the CM’s 10 day blitzkrieg.

“We are optimistic that the Congress will win as people are fed up with  rising prices. They are also tired of the poor governance. We will definitely get sweet news ahead of Deepavali”, Congress candidate Srinivas Mane said.