Siddaramaiah's challenge in next 4 days: Quelling Dalit anger, SM Krishna clout

Bengaluru: This kind of a star lineup- Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, three former chief ministers, two former union ministers, a host of Karnataka ministers, state unit presidents of two national parties, Union ministers D.V. Sadananda Gowda and H.N. Ananth Kumar, Congress leader in Lok Sabha, M Mallikarjun Kharge, and of course, the former eminence grise of the Congress in Karnataka, S. M. Krishna-mirrors the contest in Nanjangud and Gundlupet as leaders of both the ruling Congress and BJP are throwing everything they have into this clash of the Titans.

Both parties, which see the outcome of these two bypolls as the precursor to next year's elections to the Assembly are not only pulling out all the stops but also lacing the high-decibel campaign with factors like sympathy and betrayal.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah made a pitch for the sympathy card at a hot and dusty pit-stop in Gundlupet Monday, where he told his audience "If Mahadev Prasad's soul has to rest in peace, you must vote for his wife. Only a member of his family can replace him."

Former Chief Minister, S M Krishna out on his first foray on the campaign trail in his new saffron avatar, didn't pull any punches either as he lashed out at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah - whom he was instrumental in bringing into the Congress fold. "I have seen the style of working of all Chief Ministers over the last 55 years from the days of K.C. Reddy. Unfortunately, the Siddaramaiah government lacks vision to take the state on the path of progress. There has to be good governance coupled with commitment and it fails on both counts. It is stagnant and aimless," he said, addressing a press conference in Nanjangud town.

With leaders of Congress intent on retaining their strongholds, the BJP must breach these fortresses if it must win in 2018. Also, these bypolls have turned prestigious for both Mr Siddaramaiah and Mr Yeddyurappa with the former keen to maintain his hold over his home district and the latter eager to prove he continues to be powerful despite charges of corruption.

Both the Congress, banking on the AHINDA factor and the BJP, exultant over the significant number of Lingayats in these constituencies, have turned these bypolls on April 9 into a battle of prestige.