Lok Sabha polls 2019: Karnataka to witness neck and neck contests
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Former Prime Minister and JD(S) patriarch HD Devegowda is probably facing his toughest elections yet in Tumkur as he takes on BJP's Basavaraj, a Lingayat.
As Karnataka goes to polls some interesting battles are being witnessed in some of the 14 parliamentary constituencies.
Mandya
One constituency that has been making a lot of noise is Mandya which is witnessing a battle between two political greenhorns - Chief Minister's son Nikhil Kumaraswamy and late actor-turned-politician Ambareesh's wife Sumalatha.
While Nikhil is attempting to sail on the strength of his JD(S) cadres and MLAs from the region, Sumalatha, an actor herself, is using star power to gather crowds. Not to mention the disgruntled Congress workers who have vocally supported Sumalatha over Nikhil. A loss here will be a huge loss for Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy
Bangalore South
Bangalore South is seeing BJP's 28-yr-old Tejasvi Surya take on veteran Congress leader BK Hariprasad. The constituency was previously held by late Union Minister Ananth Kumar.
Bangalore North
Foreign-educated state minister Krishna Byre Gowda is using anti-incumbency to target Union Minister DV Sadananda Gowda in Bangalore North.
While Byre Gowda is a sitting MLA from the area, Sadananda Gowda is seeking a second term. The contest is believed to be a close one between the two leaders.
Tumkur
Former Prime Minister and JD(S) patriarch HD Devegowda is probably facing his toughest elections yet in Tumkur as he takes on BJP's Basavaraj, a Lingayat.
While Deve Gowda is banking on caste equations, the leader moving to Tumkur only to let his grandson have Hassan has been a thorny issue. Gowda has also been accused of deliberately denying water from the Hemavati river to Tumkur while he was the Hassan MP.
Chikkaballapur
Chikkaballapur sees veteran Congress leader M Veerappa Moily take on Vokkaliga leader Bachche Gowda of the BJP. In 2014 the constituency had witnessed a three-cornered contest between Moily, Kumaraswamy and Bachce Gowda that saw the Vokkaliga votes split between the JD(S) and BJP, but that is not the case this time. Can Moily sail through after having a sliver of a margin of 10,000 votes in 2014?