Farmers happy with sitting MP, but still he has to come

"Namma vote nimage Ramya avare," voters assure the sitting Mandya MP seeking re-election from Mandya parliamentary constituency. "Aadare Ambareesh annana kai bid bedi," says a voter as Ramya stops to meet a few villagers. "When is he back? Take him along with you," is another voter's advice.
There is an ominous ring to the clamour to get the actor-turned-politician to the campaign.District minister MH Ambareesh's long absence looms larger than life in this Cauvery belt. And it doesn't take long to figure out that the strongman holds the key to the Congress candidate's victory. Ramya too is sure Ambareesh will soon join her campaign.
A local hit the nail on the head with his quip, "I don't believe Ambareesh will not come. He will. Simply because he wants to prove that she cannot win without his help."
Ambareesh is expected to land in Bangalore on Friday and the party buzz is he will join campaign anytime later.
The battle lines are clear in Mandya. In the fray are actor-turned-politician Ramya who is seeking a re-election. Her strongest rival is Janata Dal(S) candidate CS Puttaraju, whom she defeated in a bypoll last year by over 60,000 votes. The Aam Aadmi Party candidate is Dr CS Hanumanthappa, while the BJP has fielded B Shivalingaiah.
An erstwhile stronghold of the JD(S), the constituency swung the Congress way in the byelection. Marred by factional feuds between the factions led by district minister Ambareesh and former Union minister SM Krishna, the going though seems tough for the young MP in this Vokkaliga heartland where sugarcane and water sharing with Tamil Nadu are the prime issues.
Supporters of the two leaders clash openly, leaving Ramya to chart her own course, and it's obvious she is having a tough time getting the two factions to work unitedly unlike in the bypoll where Krishna and Ambareesh campaigned together for her.
"Last year Ramya had the backing of the state government as this was a prestigious battle for chief minister Siddaramaiah in his home region of Old Mysore. This year there is internal bickering and KPCC chief Parameshwara's nasty comments on JD(S) supremo Deve Gowda hasn't gone down too well in the former JD(S) bastion. The JD(S) this time has consolidated Vokkaliga votes," says MV Naganna, a social activist and poll observer.
The JD(S) is also backed by an army of workers at the grass roots. It is looking at a combination of factors to shore up its fortunes: that sitting MP Ramya is young and inexperienced and the obvious rift in the Congress. Also, Ramya's uncalled for remarks on Ambareesh's health and political career is giving the JD(S) hope. The soft approach between the Ambareesh group and the JD(S) could yet morph into something more, giving Ramya a tough time.
But Puttaraju is quick to deny it. "No. We don't have any tacit pact with Ambareesh to win the poll. He is a district in-charge minister and he belongs to the Congress. But, I could say, most of his followers and Ambareesh himself are sympathizers of our party."
A member of the Ambareesh faction who did not want to be named said the minister's presence in the campaign will mean 1,00,000 votes could well swing the young MP's way. But his absence would mean 50,000 less votes. "People just need to see his face and know that she has his support this time too," he adds smugly.
Though the Cauvery flows through the agrarian district of Mandya, water is an issue which could swing the farmer vote. This time, though, the cane farmers are backing the Congress after the government announced its support price, and the MP took up their cause spiritedly in Parliament during the winter session. The party has also consolidated the Ahinda votes with its Anna Bhagya scheme.