Battle of Mysore: It's battle royale between Siddaramaiah and scion of erstwhile Mysuru royal family
Mysuru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah hasn't entered the electoral contest here but the battle for Mysuru Lok Sabha seat is certainly seen as one between him and scion of the erstwhile royal family.
For four days from March 24, Siddaramaiah camped in Mysuru - his home district - personally overseeing the poll preparations of the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
Springing a surprise, the BJP fielded the scion of the erstwhile Mysuru royal family Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, replacing the MP Pratap Simha.
Congress Karnataka unit spokesperson M Lakshmana is the party candidate here with some leaders in the outfit projecting the electoral contest as Common man versus Raja (king)'.
Siddaramaiah held several rounds of meetings with the party office-bearers in various Assembly constituencies under the Mysore Lok Sabha segment and issued several instructions to them.
"The pressure on Siddaramaiah is quite palpable as he has to demonstrate his hold among masses in the upcoming Lok Sabha constituency in Karnataka and more so in Mysuru," a political analyst said.
Siddaramaiah represents Varuna in Mysuru district in the legislative assembly.
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The Battle of Mysore' isn't an easy one - it's a battle royale' where the stakes are high for the CM as well as the Mysuru royal family.
True to his "majestic position", the well-mannered, US-educated Wadiyar has gone about campaigning in a dignified way earning respect from his subjects', as the Mysuru Maharajaru' or the Maharaja of Mysuru.
Lakshmana is from Vokkaliga (farming) community, which dominates the Mysuru region. After his candidature was announced, he said the Congress has given a befitting reply to the BJP by giving ticket to him because the opposition party in the State often alleged that Siddaramaiah was anti-Vokkaliga.
Lakshmana's Vokkaliga card was aimed at subtly sending across a message to his community that the BJP denied ticket to Pratap Simha, a Vokkaliga, and preferred Wadiyar from erstwhile royal family.
On Congress' slogan of Common man versus Raja', Wadiyar said in democratic India no one is king and everyone is equal in the eyes of law.
When reporters asked recently whether Mysore seat was a prestige issue for him, the Chief Minister said all the 28 Lok Sabha seats are a prestige issue for him.
However, sources close to him hint that Siddaramaiah is leaving no stone unturned and pulling out all stops in his home turf.
"It indeed is a prestige issue for him given the high stakes for him. It's in a way like perform or perish for him," a Congress insider told PTI.
According to him, during the recent meeting with the party office-bearers, the Chief Minister gave clear instructions' not to use any derogatory or defamatory language against Wadiyar as it can backfire on them.
The Mysore Lok Sabha constituency is spread over two districts of Mysuru and Kodagu. In the 2023 Assembly election, the Congress won five seats, JD(S) two and BJP one.
The BJP swept the 2019 Lok Sabha elections winning 25 out of 28 seats, while an independent backed by the party had also won.
The Congress and the JD(S), which fought together in an alliance, won one seat each.
This time, the JD(S), which has considerable vote base in the constituency, has forged an alliance with the BJP, a move that is likely to benefit Wadiyar in no small measure in his political debut.
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We'll work with truth, non-violence to remove Modi-RSS govt: Rahul
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said his party stands with "satya (truth)" and vowed to remove the "Narendra Modi-RSS government".
Addressing the party's 'Vote Chor Gaddi Chhod' rally at the Ramlila Maidan here, he launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission and mentioned the names of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi to allege that they were working for the BJP.
"We will stand with 'satya' (truth) and will remove the Narendra Modi-RSS government from power. They have 'satta' (power), and they indulge in 'vote chori'," the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said.
Gandhi claimed that the BJP transferred Rs 10,000 during elections, but the poll panel did not take any action against them. "In this fight between truth and untruth, the Election Commission is working with the BJP government," he said.
"(Prime Minister Narendra) Modi brought a new law to give immunity to EC; we will change this law retroactively and act against election commissioners," Gandhi said.
Asserting that it may take time, but truth will ultimately win, he said, "We'll work with truth and non-violence to defeat Modi and (Amit) Shah."
VIDEO | Delhi: Addressing the party’s ‘Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhor’ rally at Ramlila Maidan, Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi says, “PM Modi brought a new law to give immunity to EC; we will change that and act against Election Commissioners.”
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