Two people conspicuous by absence at Sirsi rally

Absentees at Modi rally in Sirsi, Hegde sulking over ticket denial, rumors of Hebbar joining Congress.

Two people were conspicuous by their absence at the rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Sirsi in Uttara Kannada on Sunday. Absent on the stage and in the gathering were incumbent MP Anantkumar Hegde and BJP MLA Shivaram Hebbar.

Mr. Hegde has been sulking ever since he has been denied the ticket. He has refrained from campaigning for BJP candidate and former Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri from the Uttara Kannada constituency. He also reportedly did not give an audience to Mr. Kageri when he tried to meet him.

On the other hand, there have been strong rumours that BJP MLA Mr. Shivaram Hebbar will join the Congress. His son Vivek Hebbar recently joined the Congress. Earlier with Congress, Mr. Shivaram Hebbar was among the 17 Congress-JD(S) legislators who quit their parties, which ultimately led to the collapse of the then H.D. Kumaraswamy-led Congress-JD(S) coalition government in July 2019. 

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Making a personal and emotional appeal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in all four rallies held on Sunday in Karnataka appealed to the audience to do him a “favour”. He said it was not his party work nor related to elections but a “personal one.” He asked the audience to visit as many households as possible in their neighbourhoods and convey his personal wishes.

“When you convey my namashkar to the mothers, sisters, and my well-wishers, they bless me from the bottom of their hearts. Their blessings will make me stronger and give me more energy to work harder to protect the country and its people,” he said. At the Hosapete meeting held at dusk, he asked the audience to switch on the flash light on their mobile phones and hold them up before making the appeal. Mr. Modi had attempted similar appeals during his election campaign for the Assembly elections in 2023.