With three-phased Assembly poll in Karnataka due on May 10, 16 and 22, the race for the seat of power, Vidhana Soudha, has begun in all its earnestness. The BJP has released the first list of its candidates for the 136 of the 224-member Assembly. With a few surprise entries, the BJP is clear that it would have little truck with its allies. The Janata Dal (United) may get a few seats in alliance but the AIADMK (it used to have a member earlier in Karnataka Assembly) has been refused any seats. Having been caught on camera distributing saris to the poor in a city suburb in violation of the poll code, the BJP has changed the tack. On April 24, a BJP candidate was snapped distributing laddus and puris outside a temple. Election observers were clearly miffed. Nobody knows if candidates could be barred from doling out dollops of temple prasad?
The Congress, which was reluctant to face the polls and was trying to buy time under pretext of delimitation, has stolen the lead in dangling the generous baits for the poor electorate. Its manifesto committee chairman Jaffer Sharief has promised to shower freebies on the underprivileged. Twenty-five kg rice at Rs. 2 a kilo for Below Poverty Line (BPL) cardholders and free colour TVs and loans for farmers and women at less than three per cent interest are top-listed in the quick-fix manifesto released on April 9. The party assures that if voted to power it would build 1.5 million houses for the poor and would waive off house loans availed of under the some pre-existing schemes. Looking at the scramble for tickets by aspirants at the Congress Bhavan on Queens Road, selection of candidates does not seem to be an easy task for Congress. The bigwigs seek the easy route of passing the buck to the High Command and it is all likely to the case this time.
Meanwhile, compound walls in the city have been painted in party colours and flaunt symbols with spaces left for candidates.
POLITICAL SITUATION
Congress and the JDS both are keen to have an alliance with Samajwadi Party led by Bangarappa here. The man carries his Ediga party votes wherever he goes. He has been with Congress, BJP and is now heading the SP in Karnataka. He spoiled the Congress prospects in 24 constituencies in central and south Karnataka last time and delivered these votes to the BJP which immensely boosted BJP’s score. This time he may play spoilsport for the BJP. There are said to be secret parleys between the Congress and Mulayam Singh Yadav at the Central level with the mediation of Lalu Prasad. If this materialises, the trickle down effect would be seen in Karnataka where Bangarappa’s alliance with the Congress could restore some of its original votes via Bangarappa, be it alliance or return.