Mysuru /Chamarajanagar: With election fever gripping the constituencies of Nanajanagud and Gundlupet scheduled for by-polls on April 9, the battle lines are clearly drawn between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and State BJP President B S Yeddyurappa.

The psychological edge and the personal esteem of both the leaders are more at stake, though the real impact in terms of seats will remain insignificant. Both leaders and their respective parties are leaving no stone unturned and are employing every trick in the political log book and their armoury to ensure victory of their respective party candidates.

CM Siddaramaiah is likely to campaign for a week accompanied by few of his ministerial colleagues with curtains coming down on state Assembly budget session. The victory to Congress will help him to halt Modi’s juggernaut, quell dissidence within the party and above all to prove that the Congress rule has got people’s backing despite opposition charges.

On the other hand, BSY strengthened by entry of old and strong Congressmen into his party’s fold is campaigning to ensure his road to becoming chief minister again. He needs to become clear, to rein in leaders like K S Eshwarappa and give substance to his allegations against incumbent CM to crush the ruling party’s stranglehold in the region.

During the next fortnight, both drought and development will take the backseat for both parties as the “war” between state’s two powerful leaders will take over everything else including the candidates in ‘contest’!