The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Election fever missing

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Sunday, Apr 20, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Election fever missing

Anil Kumar Sastry

This is attributed to major parties not finalising candidates

BJP is the first party to announce candidates
Show of strength not allowed during filing of papers

BANGALORE: Although only three weeks are left for the Assembly elections, Bangalore is yet to catch the poll fever as two of the three major political parties are yet to finalise their list of candidates.

However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates are in the thick of canvassing what with a few filing their nomination papers on Saturday.

As the deadline for filing the nomination papers for the first electoral phase is on April 23, the next three days are set to witness hectic poll-related activities.

The uncertainty over Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) candidates has caused anxiety and suspicion among the grassroots workers with the BJP taking an early lead as far as campaigning is concerned.

A Congress worker in Prashanthanagar near Vijayanagar, however, said he and party workers had already begun door-to-door campaign as he was confident of V. Somanna getting the party ticket for Govindarajanagar constituency.

Unlike in the past, strict enforcement of the model code of conduct and other regulatory provisions had curbed mega processions while filing nomination papers. The district electoral officers have issued strict instructions that only five persons may accompany a candidate to file the nomination papers.

As a result, there is little scope for public display of money and muscle power.

Some voters are not amused by the polls. Razak Pasha, a resident of Cauverynagar in Vijayanagar said, polls should be held once in five years. “I don’t know much about the power-sharing agreement between political parties. However, one should have kept the promise,” he said. This time around he and his family will vote for a ‘strong’ political party.

His demands are minimal: regular supply of drinking water, well-asphalted roads and proper drainage facility in his locality.

Meanwhile, the BJP camp is seeing action with heavyweights such as R. Ashok and Katta Subramanya Naidu launching their campaign. Mr. Ashok has been visiting voters’ home in his Padmanabhanagar constituency while Mr. Naidu officially launched his campaign in Hebbal on Saturday.

Rajarajeshwarinagar candidate M. Srinivas organised a big meet of party workers near Mallathahalli.

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