Will Mysore voters be swayed by Sonia, Modi visits

While Modi lambasted the Congress, going to the extent of alleging that corruption was in the DNA of the Congress, Sonia's speech was less virulent. Though she rebutted the BJP leader's charges, she was focused on highlighting the achievements of her party in the last 10 years; the achievements of the government and measures taken to curb corruption. It was Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah who was more hard-hitting in his attack on the BJP, than his party leader.

As though to compensate for her short and less impressive address, Sonia took out a surprise road show from the Maharaja's College Grounds up to the Shivarathreeshwara Circle (Gun House Circle). Seeing the crowd standing on either side of the road, she stood on the foot-board of a sports utility vehicle and waved at them, ignoring any possible security threats.

Happy to see their national leader waving at them, those assembled responded by raising slogans, cheering her all along the route. After Shivarathreeshwara Circle, she drove straight to Mandakalli Airport, where she had earlier arrived by a chartered flight.

On the other hand, those who assembled on the road-sides the previous day had to go disappointed as Modi took a helicopter to travel the short distance from the airport and the grounds.

While it was the more urban crowd that came to listen to Modi, while people from the rural areas of neighbouring Mandya, Kodagu, Chamarajanagar and Mysore parliamentary constituencies outnumbered the urbanites at the grounds, which was jam-packed, for Sonia's address.

Many rural voters had come to see their national leader, but not to listen to her. While they heard their leader Siddaramaiah's Kannada speech with patience, once the Congress President began her speech they began to leave the grounds as many were unable to understand Hindi, unlike the urbanites the previous day. Her 'darshan' was enough for them.

The two national leaders' visit more or less indicated that the fight is more between the BJP and the Congress candidates, while the Janata Dal (S) is yet to begin a vigourous campaign for the voting which scheduled for April 17.

One should only wait and see which of the two national leaders - Modi or Sonia - have had a greater impact on the voters of the Mysore Lok Sabha constituency.