Bengaluru: Going by both the previous general elections and assembly poll, the former Prime Minister HD Gowda has an edge as the Congress has not fielded any candidate against him. The voting pattern appears to be in his favour in the constituency. Going by the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the JD(S), which did not seriously contest even one seat, was able to secure 2.58 lakh votes, and the BJP,  3.55 lakh, while the  Congress remained the winner with 4.29 lakh votes.

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According to the Deccan Chronicle, a senior JD(S) leader claimed it had a formidable presence in the Tumakuru after Hassan and Mandya, which are considered the fiefdoms of the Gowda family. “Although, our opponents (including some Congress leaders tacitly) join the chorus against Mr. Gowda, raking up the old Hemavati river issue during elections, they conveniently forget that the very same Tumakuru district was the first to get a statue of  Mr. Gowda and This is an example of how he has  made his way into the hearts of Vokkligas here,” sources added.

Even though Mr. Rajanna too is a strong leader who enjoys considerable following in both Madhugiri and Koratgere constituencies, sources stated that the JD(S) has a commendable presence in these parts,  always securing anywhere between 65000 and 70,000 votes in them. “Don't forget this is the constituency, which ensured the entry of Chief Minister, H. D. Kumaraswamy's wife, Anita into politics through a by-election in 2008,” they added.

 “Even if we take general elections statistics, the JD(S) has secured around 40,000 votes each in these constituencies. These statistics speak volumes about how the party may do in these constituencies, even if the Congress does not fully support it. The JD(S) has a good presence in all other assembly segments too, with the party winning 20,000 to 35,000 votes in each during the 2014 LS polls,” said party insiders.

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