Bypolls: Vokkaliga titans slug it out

Bellary: There may not be a single Vokkaliga household in  Bellary (ST) assembly constituency  but the Congress and BJP have given the responsibility of winning the bypoll in this constituency to Vokkaliga strongmen D.K. Shivakumar (Congress) and R. Ashok (BJP).

The task given to  Mr Shivakumar and Mr Ashok,  has surprised local leaders  as they do not wield considerable clout in this constituency nor do they have the capability to  win over  non-Vokkaliga voters, particularly Muslims and Lingayats who could play a decisive role in the victory of any candidate. Nor have they ever functioned as Bellary district-in-charge ministers to get acquainted with local politics.

Insiders in the two parties confided that Mr Shivakumar and Mr Ashok were chosen for their poll management and fund raising skills.

Congress sources said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah  chose Mr Shivakumar considering his ability to take all leaders of the ‘faction ridden’ Bellary Congress together and keep a watch on leaders  disappointed over the candidature of  ‘outsider’ Mr N.Y. Gopalakrishna.