Campaigning for Nov 3 Karna bypolls comes to an end

Campaigning for the November 3 bypolls to three Lok Sabha and two assembly constituencies in Karnataka came to an end Thursday, with a BJP candidate pulling out of the contest and returning to the Congress.

In a major embarrassment for the BJP, two days before the Ramanagara assembly bypoll, its candidate against Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy's wife quit the contest on Thursday and returned to the Congress.

With BJP's L Chandrashekhar withdrawing his candidature, Kumaraswamy's wife Anita Kumaraswamy, is expected to have a smooth sail facing a virtual no-contest.

Bypolls for three Lok Sabha constituencies-Shivamogga, Ballari and Mandya and two assembly constituencies- Ramanagara and Jamkhandi, will take place Saturday.

Counting of votes will be on November 6.

Congress and JD(S) that are ruling coalition partnersin Karnataka have decided to fight the bypolls unitedlyagainst the BJP.

Congress has fielded its candidates in Jamkhandi and Ballari and JD(S) in Shivamogga, Ramanagara and Mandya.

While Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy remained away from campaigning on the last day as he had take part in the "Karnataka Rajyotsava", state formation day celebrations, in Bengaluru, most leaders from different political parties made a last attempt to woo the voters.

Former chief ministers Siddaramaiah and Jagadish Shettar campaigned in Jamkhandi for Congress candidate Anand Nyamagowda and BJP candidate Srikant Kulkarni respectively.

State BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa campaigned for his son and party candidate B Y Raghavendra who is pitted against another former chief minister S Bangarappa's son Madhu Bangarappa ofthe JD(S).

While senior Congress leader D K Shivakumar campaignedfor party candidate V S Ugrappa, considered an outsider for Ballari, BJP's Sriramulu sought votes for his sister JShantha.

JD(S) supremo and former Prime Minister was in the party's bastion of Mandya Thursday to campaign for Shivarame Gowda, who is pitted against a fresh face Dr Siddaramaiah, a retired Commercial Tax officer from the BJP.

However, in a twist to the poll campaign on the last day in Ramanagara, BJP candidate LChandrashekhar withdrew his candidature.

Announcing his decision to return to his "mother party," the Congress, Chandrashekhar accused BJP and its leaders of "abandoning" him after giving him the ticket.

The development just ahead of polls is being seen as senior Congress leader D K Shivakumar and his brother D K Suresh's response to the BJP's alleged attempts to weaken the coalition government by trying to "poach" Congress MLAs.

Upset and embarrassed BJP workers staged a protest in Ramanagara and vented their anger against Chandrashekhar.

Chandrashekhar, son of a senior Congress leader C M Lingappa, had joined BJP as the Congress decided to support the candidate of its ruling coalition partner, JD(S).

Within days after joining the BJP, he was announced as the party's candidate.

During campaigning in the last couple of weeks openexpression of displeasure by congress workers was seen in the Vokkaliga bastion of Ramanagara and Mandya constituencies that come under old Mysuru region, as a large section of localparty leaders and workers are opposed to their party decisionto support JD(S) candidate in both segments.

Congress and JD(S) that had fought bitterly against each other in the assembly polls, especially in the old Mysururegion, decided to join hands to form a government as the May 12 assembly polls threw up a hung verdict.

There are 31 candidates in the fray.

By-elections have been necessitated after BJP's B S Yeddyurappa (Shivamogga) and B Sriramalu (Ballari), and C S Puttaraju of JD(S) (Mandya) resigned as MPs on their election to the assembly in May this year.

Bypolls to Jamkhandi assembly seat was caused by the death of Congress MLA Siddu Nyamagouda, while Ramanagara fell vacant after Kumaraswamy gave up the seat preferring Chennapatna, the other constituency from where he had won.