Bengaluru: She was garlanded by some while others received her with an arathi, promising to cast their vote for her. Although she was in a stronghold of the BJP, Ms Sowmya Reddy, the Congress candidate for the constituency and daughter of Home Minister, Ramalinga Reddy, seemed relaxed and confident as she mingled with the people while campaigning for the May 12 poll.
She certainly made her presence felt as she was accompanied by at least 50 party workers, most of them women, shouting pro-Congress slogans and carrying Congress flags.
Making her debut these elections, Ms Reddy has a tought fight against Mr B. N. Vijaykumar of the BJP, who has won twice and is seeking a third term from Jayanagar. Accessible and down -to –earth, he remains popular. Mr Ravi Krishna Reddy, an independent , cannot be easily overlooked either. Ms Reddy set off on her campaign by first visiting the Banashankari temple to seek the blessings of the goddess before meeting people in Shakambarinagar, where she received a warm welcome. “We are sure that she will be accessible and solve our problems,” said Umadevi, a resident.
“There are many problems in this area, right from water supply to garbage management, which have remained unresolved due to the apathy of officials and elected representatives,” said another resident, Somashekhar , hoping the new MLA would come to its rescue. Ms Reddy herself seemed happy with the response she was receiving. “We are getting good response from the people of this constituency. They expect me to win as to them I am a reflection of my father’s commitment,” she said.
