Koppal still a suspense for contestants

KOPPAL: With effective implementation of poll norms of late, particularly on the polling day, unlike in the past, the main contenders in the Koppal bypoll, Sanganna Karadi of the JD(S) and Basavaraj Hitnal of the Congress, seem to await rather anxiously the response of the electorate to the bypoll on Monday.Even in general assembly elections in the past, the constituency registered about 50 per cent polling on an average. The BJP considers good turnout in the proper Koppal as an advantage for it, as it accounts for about 40 per cent of the total 1.88 lakh voters. Good turnout in rural areas could prove helpful to the Congress and the JD(S) as Basavaraj Hitnal hails from Hitnal revenue circle and JD(S) candidate Pradeepagouda Patil hails from Alwandi revenue circle.The inclusion of Hitnal revenue circle and the exclusion of Irkalgad revenue circle during the delimitation exercise seem to offer Basavaraj Hitnal an advantage over Sanganna Karadi, who hails from Irakalgada revenue circle.The BJP seems to be leaving no stone unturned to register the first victory in the constituency and won over local JD(S) leader Venkanagouda from Horatatnal village. The party on Sunday evening was making a bid to pocket the JD(S) leader K M Sayyed too, lest the minority community’s decisive votes may polarise either towards the Congress or the JD(S).