Bypolls today, CM faces acid test

BANGALORE: When booths in Channapatna, Jagalur and Bangarpet open for voting on Saturday at 8am, it's another opportunity for the ruling BJP to seek a referendum from the electorate on its Operation Lotus.
The bypolls outcome is crucial for chief minister B S Yeddyurappa as all the three assembly constituencies - Channapatna, Bangarpet and Jagalur - are traditionally not BJP bastions. But buoyed by the success in earlier bypolls, also caused due to poaching opposition parties MLAs, the BJP wants to send a message to the people that turncoat politics is here to stay and rule.
Among the three constituencies, the spotlight is on Channapatna. This has become a JD(S) stronghold and stakes for former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy are high. To woo the voters, Yeddyurappa has announced that if BJP candidate C P Yogeshwar is elected, he will be made a minister immediately. The Muslim votes in Channapatna are crucial as their en bloc voting in 2009 bypolls helped the JD(S) to win.
In Jagalur, BJP's rebel candidate H P Rajesh can prove a spoiler. The JD(S) was not keen on fielding a candidate as it has no presence here. Kumaraswamy had announced that he was willing to support the Congress provided the party high command requested him, which did not happen.
While the BJP had roped in Bollywood actor and MP Hema Malini to campaign in Channapatna and Bangarpet, the Congress which is banking on Bangarpet seat had Telugu actor Chiranjeevi campaigning.