Bengaluru: In a constituency of 2.34 lakh voters, a few thousand votes could make all the difference between victory and defeat. Knowing this quite well, both the Congress and BJP are trying very hard to woo the 45,000 Tamil and 12,000 Telugu speaking voters in Hebbal Assembly constituency, most of whom reside in low income group localities.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a senior Congress leader observed that non-Kannadigas could turn out to be the deciding factor in Hebbal.
"This segment of voters goes unheard during polls but their strength is known when they come out for voting. Generally, these groups tend to support the candidate from the ruling party or a dynamic personality, as they
are keen on getting their work done thorough the elected representative," the source observed.
The source added that Tamilians live in large numbers in surrounding areas like Lottegollahalli, Kanakapura, Railway Colony and around Pushpanjli Theatre, therefore, the Congress has adopted a strategy to woo them by fielding local leaders instead of relying on others.
The BJP is heavily banking on local strongman Katta Subramanya Naidu, who had represented the constituency between 2008 and 2013 to woo voters of all sections though no specific task has been given to any senior leader.
Several leaders in the Tamil and Telugu dominated areas are being wooed by senior leaders of the ruling party including C.K. Jaffer Sharief whose grandson Rehaman Sharief is the Congress candidate, sources said.
