As campaign for the byelection to the Legislative Assembly from Kundagol is gathering pace, a large number of political leaders are likely to visit the constituency in the coming days as winning the seat has become crucial for both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
On Friday, Saunshi, a small town in Kundagol taluk, saw a huge gathering of Congress leaders. The former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Ministers D.K. Shivakumar and Satish Jarkiholi, and KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao were among the leaders who attended a convention at Saunshi. For the Congress, the bypoll is a crucial one as it has to retain the seat in view of the volatile political situation in the State, thanks to BJP’s alleged efforts to topple the coalition government. Kusumavati Shivalli, wife of the former Minister late C.S. Shivalli, is the Congress candidate.
After reported displeasure by Mr. Jarkiholi on making his Cabinet colleague Mr. Shivakumar the campaign in charge for Kundagol, the party has revised the list of leaders who are in charge of campaigning. Now, apart from Mr. Shivakumar, three others are overall in charge of Kundagol constituency — senior Minister R.V. Deshpande, chairman of KPCC campaign committee H.K. Patil, and AICC secretary in charge of Belagavi division Manickam Tagore.