Clash of images hots up in Bellary

BELLARY, AUG 26: As the poll date (September 5) for Karnataka approaches, the campaigning by the two mainstream parties, Congress and BJP, promises to be a clash of images and counter images.

If the Congress has Sonia, the BJP has Sushma against her and if Ghulam Nabi Azad flies in to enthuse Congress supporters, L K Advani lands to kick off the BJP campaign. If Priyanka makes an impact in Bellary, the BJP has cine star Vijayashanti waiting in the wings to counter it. For S M Krishna the answer is Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu and finally, on Sept 1, a Prime Minister (Vajpayee) will take on a prime minister-aspirant (Sonia).

There is no doubt among Congress workers about their dependence on Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul and daughter Priyanka to “undo” the effects of the BJP’s systematic campaign. But the BJP has its counter-moves all planned.

The relative absence of the Congress campaign in Bellary — compared to the systematic one by the BJP — was filled on Thursday when AICC general secretaryincharge of Karnataka Affairs Ghulam Nabi Azad kicked off a public campaign by wooing the minority and backward class votes.