Canteen war breaks out in Mandya as politicos woo voters

Bengaluru: With state elections approaching, eating out in Mandya has suddenly become cheap with either politicians or  their supporters rushing to open subsidised canteens in the city on the lines of the Indira Canteen,  offering breakfast, lunch and dinner at highly competitive rates to woo voters.

While there is no sign of the  Indira Canteens yet, which were supposed to open in the city  on January 1,   Janata Dal (Secular) MLC, T A Sarawana has already opened a 'Namma Appaji' canteen offering several ragi dishes that are a favourite of JD(S) supremo, H D Deve Gowda on the menu for very little money.  Opened near the Mandya railway station, it is packed with villagers from neighbouring taluks every day.

And then there is a Ramya canteen opened by a fan of the star- turned- politician and former Mandya MP at Ashok Nagar. 

The fan, who is reportedly keen to prepare the ground for her to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from the constitutency, has on  offer a variety of dishes for merely Rs 10 a plate.

There is also a 'Janasnehi Ravikumar' canteen at Hullahalli Circle, offering breakfast, lunch and dinner at highly subsidised rates, started by one Mr Ravikumar, who  hopes to contest from Mandya. 

The latest to join the bandwagon is  Mr Jitendra, a die-hard supporter of state BJP chief, B S Yeddyurappa, who plans to open a  'Yeddyurappa Ji canteen' to offer breakfast at Rs 2 a plate and lunch and dinner at Rs 3 a plate.

“It doesn’t manner which party  wins the elections. We are  getting  subsidised canteens to eat in anyway. We have breakfast in one canteen, lunch at another and dinner at yet another," joked a local resident.