Recently, NDA leaders from Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts held a coordination meeting in Chikkaballapur. The Congress, however, has not held any such district-level meeting and has yet to demonstrate a united front. Its campaign is largely being conducted through local-level meetings and visits.

The constituency covers 34 assembly segments across Tumakuru, Chitradurga, Kolar, Chikkaballapur and parts of Davanagere district (Harihar, Jagalur and Davanagere taluks). Polling is scheduled for October 23, with counting on October 27.

K M Suresh, founder of Someshwar Group of Educational Institutions in Davanagere, is contesting as a NDA candidate backed by BJP. Shashihulikunte Math is the Congress candidate.

Chikkaballapur has the lowest number of voters among the districts in the constituency, while Tumakuru has the highest. Both Congress and the BJP have fielded candidates from the Lingayat community.

In the 2020 election to the constituency, BJP's Chidanand M Gowda emerged victorious. With the seat currently held by the BJP, Congress is making a determined bid to wrest it from the saffron party.

Historically, Congress has not been a major force in the constituency. It has been two decades since the party last won the seat. The BJP and JD(S) were traditional rivals here, contesting against each other in successive elections. However, the two parties have now joined hands under the NDA, making Congress the principal opponent.

JD(S) leader H S Shivashankar won in 2002, BJP's A H Shivayogi Swamy in 2008, Chowdareddy Thoopalli of JD(S) in 2014 and BJP's Chidanand Gowda in 2020.

As the campaign intensifies, candidates are weighing several factors -personal outreach, the organisational strength of parties and their own ground-level campaigning - in the electoral contest.

BJP stronghold

The Southeast Graduates' Constituency has traditionally been a BJP stronghold. BJP candidates have won the seat eight times since 1972. The term of sitting BJP MLC Chidanand M Gowda is set to end in November.

Determined to retain its hold over the constituency, BJP leaders have intensified their campaign across the district.

BJP rebel

In the 2020 election, D T Srinivas, now a Congress MLC from the Southeast Teachers' Constituency, had contested as an independent. Branded a BJP rebel, Srinivas gave BJP candidate Chidanand Gowda a tough fight and finished as the runner-up.

Srinivas later joined Congress and contested the Southeast Teachers' Constituency, winning the election. Congress had used the 'backward classes' plank in the previous teachers' constituency
election.

Teachers constitute a sizeable section of the electorate in the graduates' constituency. Srinivas had also secured a substantial number of votes when he contested the graduates' seat.

Congress has therefore entrusted him with the responsibility of helping its candidate, Shashihulikunte Math, secure victory.

Thus, in Chikkaballapur and Kolar districts, the contest has emerged largely as a direct fight between the NDA candidate and Congress.

Highlights - Total voters District Number of voters Tumakuru 49,030 Chitradurga 41,000 Kolar 31,300 Chikkaballapur 25,584 Davanagere 29,000