Channapatna bypoll: A wait till the last move as DK brothers look to checkmate Gowda clan

The bypoll in the toy town constituency of Channapatna will not just decide the future of NDA’s Nikhil Kumaraswamy and Congress’ C P Yogeshwar, but it is also a fight to prove who holds the sway over the Vokkaligas in the taluk - Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy or Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.

The election is a matter of prestige for Kumaraswamy, who has fielded his son Nikhil from the seat he vacated after winning the Lok Sabha polls from Mandya.

For Shivakumar, it is a big opportunity to avenge the defeat of his brother D K Suresh from Bangalore Rural Lok Sabh constituency at the hands of Kumaraswamy’s brother-in-law Dr C N Manjunath, who had contested on a BJP ticket.

‘Betrayal’ as talking point

Kumaraswamy faces attack by Congress leaders, who are trying to convey to voters that the union minister was responsible for Yogeshwar not being made the NDA candidate, so that his son could contest.

Yogeshwar too is under fire from BJP and JD(S) supporters for ‘betrayal,’ as they blame him for switching parties after enjoying several posts.

Some people are expressing disappointment against Kumaraswamy for leaving the constituency and shifting to Mandya for the Lok Sabha elections.

“We voted for him with a lot of hope as he was the one who waived farmers’ loans when he was chief minister, but he left us high and dry. Now, he has fielded his son and requests us for support,” said Madegowda of Banagahalli.

Voters did not spare Yogeshwar too. “He is also not loyal to any party,” Madegowda said.

“We will vote for development,” said Chandregowda of Virupakshipura village, not letting the cat out of the bag. Like Chandregowda, many voters in the segment are keeping their cards close to their chests on their choice of candidate.

Nikhil, who is backed by his grandfather, former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, and father, Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy, and BJP leaders including former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa is seeking his maiden victory.

Yogeshwar, who too has witnessed two debacles in the many elections that he contested, is confident that the voters will bless him ‘as the entire government machinery is behind him’. “Whatever tricks JD(S) leaders resort to, it will be a clear victory for Yogeshwar,” said Puttanna, Congress MLC.

But JD(S) leaders expressed confidence about winning the seat. Manju, former JD(S) MLA from Magadi, said, “People in the constituency are in favour of Nikhil. Our party has a good hold here. We have the BJP also with us this time. So, Nikhil will win the byelection without doubt.”

When asked whether the sympathy of losing two elections helps Nikhil, Congress leaders argued, “Even Yogeshwar has lost twice.”

Water projects

Both sides and their candidates are also trying to claim credit for the water projects.

Deve Gowda says he was responsible for the construction of the Iglur dam and urges voters not to forget the favours he bestowed on the taluk.

Yogeshwar calls himself a ‘Bhagiratha’ and claims he was the one who filled all the tanks in the taluk. The BJP and JD(S) leaders even seeking votes in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Vokkaliga vote pie

Though Vokkaliga voters are the highest in Channapatna, minor communities too play a crucial role.

“I feel whoever gets Muslim and Dalit votes will win,” said a teacher in a government school.

The teacher said, in the 2023 elections, the victory margin was not high and it was because Muslims supported JD(S). But their support is doubtful this time, as JD(S) has joined hands with BJP.

Role of Muslims, Dalits

“Whoever manages to woo at least 20% of the Muslim and Dalit voters will have an advantage,” the teacher said.

Having senior Muslim leader C M Ibrahim in the party in 2023 helped Kumaraswamy attract Muslim votes, he said. The veteran is no longer with the regional party.

Though people are clear that they will not vote for guarantees, some say D K Shivakumar’s announcement of Rs 500 crore for the development of the constituency may influence voters.

“Women are not happy as they have not received the Gruhalakshmi guarantee amount of Rs 2,000 for the past few months,” said Honnappa of Ambadahalli. They are also upset over reports about the free bus travel scheme being revisited.

Emotional bonding

There is one argument that Deve Gowda campaigning for Nikhil even at the age of 92 and his emotional bonding with villagers may be a plus point for Nikhil.

“The candidate might be his grandson, but we should appreciate him for being this active and humble. The Congress leaders are digging the grave of Yogeshwar by criticizing Gowda,” said Padmini, a voter.

Some BJP leaders/workers being angry with Nikhil’s candidature and some local leaders of Congress being unhappy over fielding Yogeshwar may cut in to votes of either candidate. Rubbishing claims that switching parties may negatively impact his chances, Yogeshwar claims to have around 75,000 votes of his own, including some among the BJP cadre.