October 30 by-polls: Congress, JD(S) attacking RSS with an eye on minority votes, says Karnataka Home Minister

“RSS is an organisation founded by staunch nationalists and has been in the service of building a strong nation,” he told the media in Bengaluru after garlanding a statue of sage Valmiki. The Congress and JD(S) were competing with each other in maligning the RSS, a patriotic organisation, to win over the minority votes, he added.

As the crucial by-polls to Hangal and Sindgi assembly constituencies near, the two Opposition parties have got into a bitter war of words, slamming each other as well as targeting the RSS.

The BJP has also taken the plunge, attacking both the parties in a bid to consolidate its own vote bank. Hangal in chief minister Basavaraj Bommai’s native Haveri district and Sindgi in Vijayapura district are scheduled to face by-polls on October 30.

Both Hangal and Sindgi have significant number of Muslim voters. The Congress and JD(S) are trying to win them over, each one mounting a scathing attack on the BJP and the RSS. The BJP often adds fuel to the fire as Siddaramaiah and Kumaraswamy trade charges over Muslims.

While the former Congress CM has consistently been criticizing the RSS, Kumaraswamy has made pointed charges against the organization, angering a number of top BJP leaders and evoking sharp reactions from them. The Congress leaders, independent analysts say, are aware a pitched war of words between the JD(S) and BJP on the subject of RSS would not help it in the by-polls.

The JD(S) has made matters worse for the Congress by fielding Niyaz Sheikh in Hangal and Angadi Nazia in Sindgi, both Muslim candidates as a proof of its commitment to the community.

Siddaramaiah has openly said the JD(S) was trying to divide the “secular” votes. If the JD(S) candidates do manage to cut into the Muslim votes, it will come only at the expense of the Congress.

The bypolls are critical for both Bommai and Siddaramaiah to prove their acceptance among voters. This is going to be a major test for Bommai’s popularity as they have come within three months of him taking over as the CM.

The BJP had held the Hangal seat, while Sindgi had a JD(S) member. If the chief minister can win both the seats, it will cement his position within the party as a bankable face.