Ayanur Manjunath, Congress candidate for Legislative Council elections from the South-West Graduates’ constituency, has said that the time he has got to reach out to voters, spread over six districts, is short.
The nomination, scrutiny of papers, and withdrawal will be over by May 20. Polling will be held on June 3.
“We hardly have 12 days to campaign. It is difficult to reach 84,000 voters scattered over six districts,” Mr. Manjunath told mediapersons in Shivamogga on May 15.
The South-West Graduates’ constituency includes voters enrolled in Shivamogga, parts of Davangere, Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru, Udupi, and Dakshina Kannada districts. A candidate has to depend on his/her party’s organisation to reach each voter.
“I have been trying to meet each voter. However, it is difficult to meet all of them given the short time to do so,” the Congress candidate said.
Mr. Manjunath won the seat on the BJP ticket last time. Despite being a member of the BJP, he criticised his own party when it was in power in Karnataka, on issues concerning government officials and graduates.
“The voters are convinced about my support for reintroduction of the old pension scheme for those who were recruited after 2006. I have been putting pressure on the State Government to fulfil the promise made in the party’s manifesto,” he said.
Answering a question about another Congress leader S.P. Dinesh’s decision to contest as an Independent candidate, Mr. Manjunath said, “I am confident that S.P. Dinesh will be convinced to change his decision. Differences in a party are quite natural. He was in the contest for the seat twice, and lost. However, the party chose to nominate me. I am hopeful that he will also support me.”
He said he would seek former BJP minister K.S. Eshwarappa’s support as well. “Mr. Eshwarappa is also a graduate. I will seek his vote too,” he said.
The Congress leader will file his nomination papers at the Mysuru regional commissioner’s office on May 16.
