BELLARY: Political parties raised the pitch as public campaigning for the Bellary bypoll ended here at 5 pm on Monday. While independent candidate B Sriramulu hinted at starting his own outfit, the BJP added the glamour quotient to the campaign by roping in Rajya Sabha member and film star Hema Malini on Monday.Indicating that his new party could take shape after his close friend and former minister G Janardhana Reddy comes out of jail, Sriramulu at Hokrani Camp hoped that the support he enjoys from both JD(S) and JD(U) would help in the emergence of a third power in the state. Expressing his indebtedness to H D Kumarswamy and Dr M P Nadagowda, he said their support strengthened his resolve to win the byelection.Meanwhile, leaders of all parties and organisations left for their respective places in the evening. Polling will be held on November 30.The major contenders — P Gadilingappa (BJP), B Ramprasad (Congress) and Sriramulu and five others resorted to last minute campaigning through roadshows and door-to-door canvassing, to reach out to more voters.While Congress leaders, including former railway minister C K Jaffer Sharief, leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah, KPCC president G Parameshwara and Rajya Sabha member Anil Lad, canvassed for their party candidate, Sriramulu did brisk campaigning and touched rural areas in the second leg with the help of G Somashekara Reddy, T H Suresh Babu, B Nagendra, Mrutyunjaya Jinaga, all legislators and MPs J Shanta and Sanna Phakkirappa.Hema Malini joined the BJP bandwagon with Ananth Kumar, state party chief K S Eshwarappa and ministers Govind Karjol and R Ashok and canvassed for Gadilingappa. She also took part in the BJP roadshow accompanied by Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda and Eshwarappa in Cowl Bazaar area and expressed hope that the development work by the Yeddyurappa government would earn the BJP a victory. Embarrassed over a question on corruption in the state, she said nothing would stop the party’s victory march.
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