Karnataka   

Mahima Patel’s election strategy fails to click

DAVANGERE: The strategy adopted by Mahima Patel, president of the Suvarna Yuga Party, in the Assembly elections, did not work. Mr. Patel, who won in 2004 on the Janata Dal (Secular) ticket, was relegated to the fourth position this time round.

Mr. Patel, who claimed not to have distributed money or liquor in the previous elections, but still won, used a different way to try and muster support this time. In what has been described as a “Gandhian way” of garnering support, he chose to sit on fast near the Shanti Sagar Lake in his constituency without bothering to campaign. He stated that he was fed up with the role of “money power” in the elections and felt that keeping away from it would be better. He said bribing people to vote was incorrect. He believed that people should vote only for those in whom they had confidence. Mr. Patel said he was on fast to spread the message of “honesty” as an electoral principle. In a specially erected tent adjacent to the lake, Mr. Patel sat along with his mother for over 20 days prior to the polling. Several people visited him daily. While he stayed put there till the elections were over, his opponents conducted door-to-door campaigns, visited villages, hamlets and Lambani tandas seeking support.

Even many close supporters of Mr. Patel expressed displeasure over the path chose by their leader and described it as impractical. As the Suvarna Yuga Party was new, many people were not aware of its message, symbol and presence. The supporters said they should have worked on spreading awareness about the party’s philosophy. Mr. Patel’s detractors said it would have been difficult for him to make a positive impression on the people, let alone visiting them and ensuring support. The fast he staged naturally did not yield any productive result, they added.

K. Madal Virupakshappa of the Bharatiya Janata Party won by 993 votes against his Congress rival Vadnal Rajanna. Mr. Madal secured 39,526 votes, while Mr. Rajanna secured 38,533, Hodigere Ramesh of the Janata Dal (S) 21,499, and Mr. Patel 9,519 votes.

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