In Sira, BJP and Congress battle-ready, JDS lags

TUMAKURU: While the ruling BJP has been airdropping a galaxy of leaders into Sira, the Congress is set to launch a war room to go into the bypoll, guns blazing. It is the JDS which is the laggard of the race, with its nominee, Ammajamma, hospitalised due to Covid-19. The Congress, with former minister T B Jayachandra as the candidate, has appointed 51 observers from the KPCC and a 14-member team to the camp office cum war room, which will be operational in Sira town from October 14.

The next day, KPCC president DK Shivakumar and Opposition leader Siddaramaiah are set to storm Sira, and will accompany Jayachandra when he files his nomination papers. In the meantime, Jayachandra is taking his campaign to the rural areas. BJP’s probable nominee Dr C M Rajesh Gowda, who joined the party recently with some local leaders, is campaigning on his own and enrolling workers from other parties, especially the JDS.

Since Ammajamma, wife of former minister late B Sathyanarayana, is in hospital, her son B S Sathyaprakash is trying to organise party workers on his own, but is unable to stop them from migrating to the BJP and Congress. Some leaders, including Jayachandra, were skeptical about Ammajamma’s candidature as the JDS is likely to change its decision at the last minute. “The JDS is known for waging short-term war and winning it,” remarked a JDS leader.