The bypolls to be held this month have united Opposition parties in Karnataka. The five bypolls — two for the lok Sabha and three for the legislative Council seats — have united the BJP, JD(S) and the KJP to fight the Congress.

The lok Sabha bypolls slated for August 21 for the Bangalore rural and Mandya seats are crucial for the Congress Government and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who has already declared that the Congress will snatch the lok Sabha seats.

However, the bypolls to legislative Council seats from Mysore, Dharwad in north Karnataka and Chitradurga in central Karnataka will be held on August 22, with the counting of votes on August 26.

It is significant that the BJP has struck a deal with the JD(S) which is contesting the two lok Sabha seats vacated by HD Kumaraswamy and Cheluvaraya Swamy of the JD(S). The BJP’s new political alliance with the JD(S) has changed the political equations and united Opposition are taking on the Congress scuttling its chances.

Both the BJP and the JD(S) along with the KJP of lingayat strongman BS Yeddyurappa have worked out a formula to face the Congress and the BJP has withdrawn its nominees from contesting the lok Sabha  seats. In return, the JD(S) is not fighting the Council elections.

The BJP will contest for Council seats from Dharwad and Chitradurga, leaving Mysore for the KJP. These arrangements have ostensibly been agreed upon by the three parties to avoid a split in anti-Congress votes.

Meanwhile, the Congress beaming with the recent victory in Karnataka has not left any stone unturned. The party has struck a deal with little known Karnataka Sarvodaya Party and also seeking support from the SP which has an MlA in the Vokkaliga belt.

Karnataka Sarvodaya Party president and lone legislator KS Puttannaiah has announced that his party’s candidate has withdrawn from the Mandya lok Sabha bypoll and extended support to the Congress. lone Samajwadi Party legislator CP Yogeshwar, who was once in the Congress, represents Channapatna, which is part of the Bangalore Rural lok Sabha constituency, has demanded a place in the Ministry for the support.

Though the winners of the two lok Sabha bypolls will have less than a year’s term as general elections are due early next year, the Congress wants to win them as these are the first by-elections it is fighting on returning to power in the State.

But State Congress chief G Parameshwara declared that the results of the bypolls will not have any repercussion on the Government but feels the win will be a moral booster for the party. He said, “The results are of no consequences to the party. We are sure to win both the seats against the unholy nexus of the JD(S) and the BJP. However, the victory for the Congress would be a moral booster for the party ahead of the general elections.”

The JD(S) with all family affairs has made Anita Kumaraswamy, wife of JD(S) chief Kumaraswamy, to contest from Bangalore Rural and former MlA Srinivas from Mandya to retain its supremacy in the Vokkaliga belt.

The Bangalore Rural seat was held by Gowda’s son and former Chief Minister and JD(S) State president HD Kumaraswamy. Now Kumaraswamy’s wife Anita is the JD(S) candidate for the bypoll and is taking on DK Suresh, brother of Congress legislator and former Minister DK Shivakumar.

The bypolls are being held as Kumaraswamy and Cheluvarayaswamy quit the lok Sabha after they won the May 5 Assembly elections.