BANGALORE: One of the eight taluks in Bangalore Rural District, Magadi, which has eighteen taluk panchayat constituencies, is witnessing a keen contest between the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) for the December 23 elections to zilla and taluk panchayats.

Although the coalition partners are slogging it out to outdo each other, voters do not seem to have any high expectations of the candidates they will vote for. But all of them say they will definitely cast their votes.

"Everything is all right. We have water, and life is good and so is business," says a migrant from Kannur, Kerala, who has been running a bakery in Herohalli for the past ten years. Candidates who come asking for votes are not making any great promises.

Two women vegetable vendors were tight-lipped when asked which party they will vote for. Herohalli should have good roads and water, they said. And they hope to find a better place, away from the stagnant drain, to do their business.

The streets are flooded with posters and hoardings of different parties and larger-than-life pictures of the former Prime Ministers H.D Deve Gowda, A.B. Vajpayee and Rajiv Gandhi vie for attention.

Cold reception

Candidates who go door-to-door for in Ganekal village in Tavarekere get a cold reception. Tavarekere taluk panchayat Congress candidate T.L. Chandrashekar, who is also party block president, and his supporters had people listening from the doorsteps, without much interest.

Congress candidate for the zilla panchayat Venkatalakshmma, who has served as taluk panchyat member in Nelamangala, has little to say that can appeal to women.

"As our party manifesto says, we are talking about better healthcare and water and social justice", said Mr. Chandrashekar. Ms. Venkatalakshmamma, who runs a pharmacy, has the interests of the self-help groups and economic empowerment of women close to her heart.

Welfare programmes

The Congress refers to the welfare programmes carried out in Magadi by the former Minister, H.M. Revanna. It hopes this will keep voters from swaying towards the Janata Dal (S).

Janata Dal (S) too is trying its best to win over the voters. At Taggikuppe, activists said the party will sweep the polls in the whole of Magadi.

The party's candidate for zilla panchayat is Chandramma Kempegowda.

Magadi MLA H.C. Balakrishna of Janata Dal (S) banks on the manifesto drafted to appeal to rural voters. Beluraiah, a farm labourer, was seen distributing pamphlets seeking votes for Janata Dal (S).

A few vans carried Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) flags and autorickshaws blared out pro-BJP slogans. The Samajwadi Party is also trying to make its presence felt.

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