Prof. Rajeev Gowda vs Shobha Karandlaje in Bangalore North

Bangalore North Constituency is a stronghold for the Congress party, which has won 12 of the last 17 elections held here. The BJP party has controlled the seat for the previous 20 years after it was lost to them in 2004. This time, Prof. MV Rajiv Gowda, Vice Chairman of the State Planning Commission, and Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje are directly competing.

The employees do not quite embrace Shobha Karandlaje in the party. The fact that Somashekhar is employed by the Congress in Yeshwantpur is no secret. Furthermore, there is little effort being made to foster peace between the two BJP sections. The A Ravi and Tammesh Gowda groupings do not coordinate in Bytarayanapur either. In Hebbal, Jagadish Naidu and YA Narayanaswamy are also not collaborating.

Local activists and leaders disagree with Prof. Rajiv Gowda’s prominent position. Byrati Suresh is strong in Hebbal, Minister Krishna Byre Gowda is strong in Bytarayanapur, and there is optimism for increased lead in Pulikeshinagar reserve seat. There’s a dearth of party leaders and cadres in Malleswaram, Mahalakshmi Layout, and other localities. Nonetheless, the public is experiencing a significant Modi wave, which has traditionally benefited the BJP candidate. This time, there may be optimism for Congress based on the number of MLAs and assurances. (Bengaluru/Bharath Anjanappa)