Bengaluru: Realising that the confusion over candidate selection could impair its prospects in the Hebbal Assembly bypoll, the Congress party has decided to give an added impetus to its campaign by deploying the entire party machinery as well as ministers in the state cabinet to ensure Rehman Sharief’s victory. Every Congress minister, party corporator in the BBMP, MLC and MLA will be part of this exercise for the next 15 days with the poll scheduled for February 13.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had constituted a panel headed by energy minister, D.K. Shivakumar to oversee the poll arrangements. On Friday, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dr G. Parameshwar convened a meeting with city leaders along with Mr Shivakumar, where it was decided to deploy a party corporator along with MLAs, MLCs and MPs to each booth in the constituency.
Speaking to DC, a senior leader quoting Mr Shivakumar, said the party needs to win this seat for the sake of the central leadership. “This is a decision of the party (to field Rehaman Sharief), not an individual. Therefore, we need to work unitedly in every polling station. There are around 200 polling stations in this constituency. We will be deploying leaders irrespective of their stature as minister or mayor, to each polling station. His or her responsibility will be restricted to that polling station for the next 15-days. I will also be in charge of a booth," the source said quoting Mr Shivakumar.
Mr Shivakumar repeatedly stressed that wherever he had been deputed as in-charge, he had adopted the same model, which according to him was a foolproof plan to ensure victory. “Be it in Udupi-Chikkamagaluru Lok Sabha by-elections or in Ballari, I adopted this model,” the source said quoting the energy minister.
KPCC president G. Parameshwar clarified that party leaders and workers must take the Hebbal bypoll seriously as victory or defeat will have far reaching consequences. Speaking at a party leaders’ meeting, Dr Parameshwar said after central leaders decided to field Rehaman Sharief, Hebbal must be deemed a constituency represented by none other than Congress president Sonia Gandhi herself. “A defeat in this seat will be taken very seriously,” he warned. He said the party will keep a watch on every leader involved in the election and anyone indulging in anti-party activity will invite the wrath of senior leaders
‘Naanu nimma maga idda hage, nanage vote maadi’
He posed for ‘selfies’ along with young voters at a couple of places, bent down to touch the feet of an old woman at another spot, but tried different methods to convince them to vote for him on February 13.
Congress veteran C.K. Jaffer Sharief’s grandson Abdul Rehman Sharief was first off the mark, launching a low-key campaign — Aap ka hath Rehman ke sath. Ek bar de ke dekho, parkho aur jano — in Hebbal Assembly constituency, on Friday.
He arrived along with a group of friends and well-wishers and immediately set off on door-to-door campaign soon after offering namaz at two mosques. It was evident that most residents did not recognise him till his friends introduced him as grandson of Mr Jaffer Sharief. Next moment, they chatted with him and others in his group. Some of them wanted to click ‘selfies’ with him, and he obliged with a big smile. He tried to connect in different ways with people of different age groups. “When he met youngsters, he would ask them to give him a chance. He addressed aged women, saying ajji, please nanage vote maadi. Naanu nimma maga idda hage,” said a leader who accompanied him during the campaign in R T Nagar. Today being Friday, he went to two mosques - Masjid-e Bilal and Masjid-E-Ala - where he was welcomed and people praised his grand father several times. Mr Rehman appealed large number of Muslims to vote in unity in his favour as he was the candidate of the ruling party.
BJP plank is ISIS suspects’ arrest
Leaders of the state unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have decided to make a collective effort to win next month’s by-elections to the state Assembly from three constituencies.
As BJP cadre are certain about consolidation of votes of minorities in Bidar and Hebbal constituencies, leaders decided adopt a counter strategy for consolidation of votes of other communities in Hebbal and Bidar.
Sensing consolidation of votes of minorities in Hebbal, party workers have decided to resort to a campaign on issue of arrest of six suspected ISIS terrorists in Karnataka by National Investigating Agency (NIA), a Bharatiya Janata Party leader told Deccan Chronicle.
The leader said as the party was confident about retaining Hebbal seat following an assurance from former minister Katta Subramanya Naidu to candidate Y.A. Nayaranaswamy.
Mr. Naidu had ensured the victory of his close associate Jagadish Kumar in 2013 Assembly elections.
“We are confident that Mr. Naidu will work for the party candidate. At a recent meeting with party leaders, Mr. Naidu assured that he will work for the victory of the party candidate while demanding a responsible position in the party,” the leader added.
In Bidar, the party has assigned the responsibility of ensuring victory to former deputy chief minister R. Ashoka as he has good equation with Suryakant Nagamarapalli, son of late former minister Gurupadappa Nagamarapalli.
