By fielding former Deputy Chief Minister R Ashoka from Kanakapura, the BJP might have raised stakes of the election in Congress state unit president DK Shivakumar‘s fortress, but it’s a daunting task to breach it.

With both Shivakumar, seven-time MLA and Ashoka six-time MLA hailing from Vokkaliga community, majority in this constituency, would add more color to this dull contest.

Ashoka, a sitting MLA from Padmanabhanagar constituency, is perhaps the most formidable candidate fielded by BJP in the last several elections in this assembly segment, where the party’s vote percentage has been less than 4%.

Shivakumar has won this constituency every time since its inception in 2008 after delimitation, before that he represented the erstwhile Sathanur seat four times.

JDS has fielded Nagaraju this time as its candidate in previous election, Narayana Gowda who got 47,000 votes is now with Congress.

Interacting with locals and villagers in this constituency, where real estate is on boom, one gets a clear idea that Shivakumar’s shadow looms large over not only the political landscape but also its economic landscape as well.

Sridhar, a local who runs a small time food joint, describes Shivakumar as the only leader in the constituency who provides them all help if you need some assistance in medical treatment or jobs for your family members he has resources to help us.On the question how JDS, seen as Vokkaliga party, is campaigning in this constituency, one doesn’t get very enthusiastic answers and local BJP leaders claim that the JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy gives it a miss due to a tactical understanding between him and Shivkumar.

Ashoka, facing an outsider tag and contesting from Padmanabhanagar, appeared to be going against him.

The most vocal support for BJP can be heard in Lingayat localities of this constituency, having around ten thousand votes.

Local BJP workers also view the contest between Ashoka and Shivakumar as more of a game of margins.

With both Ashoka distributing his time in both constituencies and Shivakumar campaigning across the state, it is their family members who are making up for them in their absence.