On Karnataka poll eve, netas go on temple run

BENGALURU: With the dust settling on campaigning and the heat of the assembly election battle falling, functionaries of both BJP and Congress sought to invoke divine blessings on Tuesday, going on temple runs and chanting ‘Hanuman Chalisa’. Some candidates even went door-todoor in a last-ditch effort to seek votes.
The governing BJP organised events across the state, including its state office in Bengaluru, where party functionaries chanted the ‘Hanuman Chalisa’. Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai joined one such event at Anjaneya temple in Hubballi and offered a special puja. Later, he embarked on a door-to-door campaign in his constituency, Shiggaon in Haveri district.
Union minister and chairman of BJP’s election management committee, Shobha Karandlaje, along with minister K Gopalaiah, offered a special puja at Prasanna Anjaneya temple in Mahalakshmi Layout, Bengaluru, and invoked Lord Hanuman’s blessings. Ever since Congress proposed to ban outfits that indulge in unlawful activities, including Bajrang Dal, the saffron brigade, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been aggressively going after the grand old party to polarise Hindu votes, besides making it a poll narrative. Over the past week, BJP functionaries including Modi began their speeches at rallies and election events with the words “Jai Bajrang Bali”.
“Congress has been trying to hurt sentiments and faith of Hindus. Its decision to ban Bajrang Dal has created tension in society. We prayed to Lord Hanuman to give usstrength to protect the Hindu culture,” Karandlaje said.
Several Congress functionaries also visited temples and invoked the blessings of pretty much the same deities. State Congress president DK Shivakumar and former CM Siddaramaiah visited Chamundeshwari temple in Mysuru and offered puja. They also sought the blessings of goddess Chamundeshwari to give them strength to implement their five poll guarantees by offering puja to their guarantee cards.
Earlier, Shivakumar visited Anjaneya Swamy temple at Mysuru Bank Circle in Bengaluru. “Lord Anjaneya is a symbol of service, and I prayed to him to give us an opportunity to serve people like he did,” Shivakumar said. He also criticised Modi for not allowing state leaders to accompany him during his roadshows.
“He goes to the new parliament building alone. He sits for Rama’s puja alone. He campaigns alone. A leader is one who encourages others to become leaders. But Modi is trying to suppress his own leaders. I am surprised by this,” Shivakumar said.
‘Bow to LPG cylinder’
In another taunt to BJP, Shivakumar urged party workers to keep an LPG cylinder outside all polling booths so that people can bow before it (as a reminder about rising prices of cooking gas) before they exercise their franchises. “Our PM in 2014 had called on people to bow to LPG cylinders before they go to vote. We should all respect his words. I request all our workers keep a cylinder in a space provided to them at every booth,” he said while offering a puja to a gas cylinder at the state Congress office in Bengaluru.