Bengaluru: On ‘make peace’ mission, KGB & BKH get Deve Gowda’s ‘blessings’!

Bengaluru: Rural development and panchayat raj minister, Krishna Byregowda and senior Congress leader, B K Hariprasad called on Janata Dal (Secular) president H.D. Deve Gowda at his home in Padmanabhanagar after filing their nominations for Bengaluru North and Bengaluru South respectively to seek his blessings on Tuesday.

Mr Gowda reportedly assured both men that he would do his best to make sure that they got the backing of his party’s voters in the two constituencies this Lok Sabha poll.

The Congress candidates were clearly on a “make peace” mission as many of the JD(S) leaders are upset at its count falling from eight constituencies to merely four in the seat sharing arrangement between the coalition partners.

Besides, it is estimated that Bengaluru North has around five lakh Vokkaliga voters, and Benglaluru South a little more. For the last two decades, the voting pattern of the Vokkaligas has been different in the Lok Sabha elections from the Assembly.

While they voted based on local issues in the Assembly poll, they largely backed the BJP in the Lok Sabha, which is worrying for both Mr Hariprasad, Mr Byregowda.

This time, things are more complicated as the JD(S) had to make way for the Congress in Bengaluru North, where it was gearing up to take on the BJP, under pressure from the local Congress MLAs, who were only prepared to back Mr Gowda in the constituency.

The pulls and pressures are being seen as an offshoot of the continuing rivalry between Mr Gowda and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. It all depends now on how much support the Congress is able to drum up among Vokkaliga voters, as otherwise it could find it difficult to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party in the constituency.