Bangalore: All candidates in fray for the parliamentary elections by and large stayed off campaigning on Wednesday, but they were busy reviewing preparations for the crucial polling day on Thursday.
Though the public electioneering ended on Tuesday, the candidates were allowed to do door-to-door campaigning in small groups till 10 pm on Wednesday.
The candidates went on short ‘padayatras’ in important pockets of their constituencies. Some of them performed pooja and homa, seeking divine blessings for their success.
The candidates, including those in the three constituencies of Bangalore, held a series of meetings with key leaders of their parties to ensure that they do not face any organisational problems on the polling day. Senior leaders of all major political parties have reached their home districts so that they can cast their votes on Thursday.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was in Mysore, where he held meetings with local Congress leaders, and State Congress chief G Parameshwara was in Tumkur. He also held meetings with local party workers.
BJP leaders Pralhad Joshi, H N Ananth Kumar and D V Sadananda Gowda held meetings with party workers in their respective constituencies, besides conducting a ‘padayatra’ for some time.
JD(S) chief H D Deve Gowda left for Hassan in the evening. But H D Kumaraswamy conducted a door-to-door campaign in certain pockets of Yelahanka and Devanahalli.
Bangalore South BJP candidate Nandan Nilekani held meetings with party workers through the day. Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao also took part in the meetings. They did not campaign anywhere.
Bangalore South BJP candidate Ananth Kumar attended the Karaga festivities that went on till the wee hours of Wednesday. Later in the day, he held ward-level meetings with party workers, while his close aides did the door-to-door campaigning.
Bangalore Central candidate P C Mohan spent the entire day campaigning in his constituency. He covered a lot of ground, including Kumara Park, Madhavanagar, Nehrunagar, Seshadripuram, Balepet and Chamarajpet. Congress candidate Rizwan Arshad held meetings with the party workers.
BJP Bangalore North candidate Sadananda Gowda met voters in Kengeri and held closed-door meetings with party workers. Later in the evening, he left for Puttur where he is a registered voter.
Congress’ C Narayanaswamy went on a door-to-door campaign in Sanjaynagar and RT Nagar, along with his family members. Pralhad Joshi, who is contesting from Dharwad, attended three marriages in his constituency and a pooja organised by a local leader.
Later, he remained closeted with party workers. JD(S) candidate in Bangalore Central Nandini Alva had organised a special homa at her residence. She also visited the Shiva temple at Sadashivanagar.
In Belgaum, Congress’ Lakshmi Hebalkar conducted a ‘padayatra’ near the KSRTC bus stand area, while the BJP candidate Suresh Angadi held meetings with the local party leaders.
