Karnataka

Day after, politicos settle dues, unwind

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Kar Election security-Ap 18_2014-020

Bangalore: A day after polling, candidates and their campaign managers were busy settling dues. Some met officials to submit the list of their expenses as per the direction of the Election Commission of India (ECI) while others spent the day in the comfort of their home to keep off the heat and the dust.

Nandan Nilekani, the Congress candidate for Bangalore South who had canvassed extensively on roads, confined himself to his Koramangala home, spending quality time with his family members.

Similarly, the Congress candidate for Bangalore North, C Narayanaswamy, spent time with family and friends. He is planning to go to a hill station on vacation, according to his close aides. A yoga freak, Narayanaswamy had not stayed away from the exercise even during his electoral campaign.

The BJP candidate for Bangalore South, H N Ananth Kumar, and his wife Tejaswini jogged in Lalbagh in the morning. Later, he left for Bhopal to take part in ‘Mission 29’, his party’s campaign to win all the 29 seats in Madhya Pradesh. Kumar is the BJP’s national general secretary in charge of MP.

Prajwal Gowda, JD(S) MLA H D Revanna’s son who had a hectic schedule though he was not a candidate, relaxed at the family’s farmhouse in Holenarasipura in Hassan district. Prajwal, who campaigned for his grandfather, H D Deve Gowda, in Hassan and some JD(S) candidates elsewhere, said he had missed his dogs. “I’m just chilling out here. The weather is cool as it’s raining here,” he said.

Prajwal, however, did not forget to visit a government college in Hassan where Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) have been stored in a strongroom. “About 50 workers of our party are keeping tabs on the strongroom,” he said, adding that he also settled the dues of car rental firms and submitted details of expenditure to treasury officers.

Ayurvedic massage

Prajwal’s uncle, H D Kumaraswamy, enjoyed an ayurvedic massage at his flat in Sadashivanagar, Bangalore. “Boss’ regular masseur from an ayurvedic centre in Rajajinagar came home to give him an oil massage,” his aides said. Before that, Kumaraswamy met his father H D Deve Gowda in Padmanabhanagar for an hour.

Kumaraswamy is now contemplating getting admitted to a nature cure hospital outside the State for 10 days to get his body detoxicated. Or he may go abroad with some of his trusted people who toiled with him during the campaign, sources said.

But JD (S) State president A Krishnappa said the month-long hectic schedule did not tire him.

He stayed in Tumkur, from where he contested, settling dues before returning to Bangalore in the evening. “I had frugal meals during the campaigning. Nandini buttermilk and banana kept me going as I travelled 80-160 km every day. From tomorrow, I’ll resume my routine in Bangalore, attending to college office and playing badminton,” he said.

Similary, 77-year-old B Janardhana Poojary, the Congress candidate for Dakshina Kannada, does not know what relaxation means. Like other days, he woke up at 6 am on Friday and walked for one-and-a-half hours.

He attended a marriage in Mangalore before returning to his home in Bantwal. His assistant Harikrishna said, “Poojary does not need any relaxation. He went to bed around 2 am and at 6 am went for a walk. He is healthy because he has no bad habits. He eats frugal meals with low salt and less chilli.”

Thanksgiving meeting

BJP candidate for Bangalore North D V Sadananda Gowda held a thanksgiving meeting with members of his election management committee in the morning and had a photo op with them. He later went home to rest and plans to spend the weekend with family. He will canvass for the BJP in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu from Monday onwards.

The BJP’s Shimoga candidate, B S Yeddyurappa, has decided to take a break and avoid meeting the general public until Monday. His close aides said he had clearly instructed them not to disturb him. He is in Shikaripur. JD(S) candidate for Bangalore Central Nandini Alva said she met Deve Gowda in the morning and told him about her desire to get involved in the party’s work.

“I’m an outdoor person and love sea diving and mountaineering. I run two NGOs which require my presence in the field. So, the heat did not affect me while campaigning.”

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