Bangalore: Karnataka is all set to witness a battle of equals in the Lok Sabha polls with five former chief ministers in the fray and indications that a sixth may soon join the race.
Two sitting MPs M. Veerappa Moily (from Chikkaballapura) and N. Dharam Singh (Bidar) have been given tickets by the Congress to re- contest. Though Dharam Singh is on a strong turf in Bidar with weaker opponents, Moily is facing tough contest from the BJP and the JD(S). Moily had served as the Karnataka CM from 1992 to 1994 while N. Dharam Singh was the CM during the Congress-JD(S) coalition government (2004-2006).
Two BJP former CMs from BJP, B. S. Yeddyurappa and D. V. Sadananda Gowda are in the fray from Shimoga and Bangalore North constituencies, respectively. Both BJP leaders are striving for an identity at the national level through this election and a loss could reduce their bargaining power in the party.
While Yeddyurappa is pitted against Geetha Shivarajkumar (daughter of former CM S. Bangarappa and wife of Kannada superstar Shivarajkumar), Sadananda will find the going tough as the local BJP cadres were against his candidature since he hailed from coastal Karnataka.
Former prime minister and chief minister H. D. Deve Gowda is the JD(S) candidate from Hassan, his hometown where he has been invincible. Neither the BJP nor the Congress has found a suitable candidate against Deve Gowda in Hassan and victory for him is expected to be easy.
The wife of a former chief minister may also enter the fray if the JD(S) does not set its house in order. The party is keen on fielding former legislator and wife of Kumaraswamy, Anitha Kumaraswamy against Moily from Chikkaballapura.
However, Anitha, who lost the parliamentary by-election from Bangalore Rural last year, is not interested in electoral politics anymore. She has cited health reasons for not contesting the polls and Chikkaballapura is one constituency where the JD( S) enjoys an upper hand for the time being.
While BJP has fielded veteran Janata Parivar leader B. N. Bachche Gowda from this seat, Moily is facing a tough time after Arvind Kejriwal urged the voters not to elect Moily during his tour there.
Bureau Report
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