Stardust missing in polls

Star power is missing in the Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka this time around as parties have fielded only an ageing reluctant star, a cine actor who has switched sides, and a film personality past his heydays.

This time only three parties have signed on stars: Congress has fielded the reluctant Ambareesh from Mandya, while the ruling BJP’s candidate for Bangalore Rural is cine actor C P Yogeshwar, who resigned as Congress MLA and joined the saffron party only recently. BSP has selected veteran star Ashok from Tumkur.

Former chief minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy, a film producer, is another contender in the fray contesting from Bangalore Rural. Kumaraswamy is the son of JD(S) chief and former Prime Minister H D Devegowda.

Unlike neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, where star power is poll power, the tinsel magic has not really spilled its starry charm into the political arena or translated into huge ‘ballot-box office hits’ in Karnataka, making political parties wary of fielding such candidates.

The results of the 2004 polls revealed that the star charm was restricted to the celluloid, with Karnataka voters indicating that politics and films were a different ball game.

In 2004 polls, the stars failed to shine for yesteryear actress Jayanti (JD(S), who lost out to BJP’s Anant Kumar in Bangalore South. It was a flop story for actor Shashikumar from JD(S) in Chikkabalupur when he lost to Congress’ R L Jalappa. Veteran actors Doddanna (Janata Party) fielded from Shimoga and Ramakrishna (Janata Party) from Canara parliamentary constituences failed to make a mark. Congress candidates and cine artistes Jaggesh and Sashikumar, who contested from Turuvekere and Challakere (Reserved) and Dwarakish (Kannada Naadu Party) from Hunsur also failed to make it to the winners’ dais.

Actor Ambareesh was the only star who coasted to victory. “Would he would he not” was the guessing game played by Ambareesh who was under a self-imposed deadline and refused to reveal his cards till the last moment.

As Ambareesh made it clear that he was depressed over the “humiliation” meted out to him by the local leadership, JD(S) and BJP tried to woo the actor, but in vain. Ambareesh, who has contested four parliamentary elections and won, thrice from Mandya on a Congress ticket and once on a JD(S) ticket, had made it clear that he was still nursing a bruised ego over his shocking defeat to a political novice in the last assembly polls from Srirangapatna seat.

The Union minister blamed his own partymen for engineering his defeat, thereby scripting the success of Bandisidde Gowda, JD(S), who made his debut in the assembly. Citing an astrological ominous period, the star managed to keep the parties guessing till the last minute before filing his nominations from Mandya.

The Vokkaliga he-man had been offered Mandya, Mysore and Bangalore rural by other parties which have a strong Vokkaliga dominated population.

Yogeshwar is contesting from Bangalore Rural, where he takes on Kumaraswamy. It is starry battle in Bangalore Rural alone.

BSP has roped in Ashok, belonging to the Badija Naidu Community, in Tumkur.