50% polling in RR Nagar; Congress & JDS fight it out

BENGALURU: The election to Rajarajeshwarinagar assembly constituency, which was deferred due to the detection of electoral malpractices just days before the May 12 polls, was held peacefully on Monday. The constituency registered a voter turnout of 50% by 5 pm as against 56.825 in 2013 assembly election. Although JDS and Congress formed a coalition to keep BJP out of power, the partners fought the poll in right earnest.

The bonhomie they displayed after the alliance was, however, missing on the ground in RR Nagar. JDS went ahead with campaigning for its candidate G H Ramachandra (who moved from BJP to JDS a few months ago) last week as Congress’ N Munirathna refused to step down from the contest. Party workers on both sides, who were sweating it out at the polling stations, saw the alliance at the state-level with much scepticism and detachment.

“Congress and JDS workers have always been poles apart. The alliance at the state will not change our equations. It is difficult for both the party workers to work unitedly at any point of time. It would not have been fair to ask sitting MLA N Munirathna to stay away from the contest,” said HS Sridhar, a Congress worker outside Halagevadrehalli polling station in RR Nagar.