Congress leader Digvijaya Singh at a rally on Wednesday
The Karnataka Assembly elections are over and the national elections are still some months away, but Bangalore Rural has election fever.
The parliamentary seat fell vacant after its MP, former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, contested and won the election to the state Assembly in May.
The Congress pushed the BJP out of its first government in the South.
It is believed that Mr Kumaraswamy, a senior leader of the Janata Dal (Secular) preferred the thought of five years as a state legislator to an uncertain future as an MP who would have to face elections in a matter of months. Certainly, as leader of the opposition in the state assembly, his voice is heard more by his constituents than it was in Parliament.
The Janata Dal (Secular) however, does hope to keep the seat in the family by fielding Mr Kumaraswamy's wife, Anita. This part of the state is considered a JD(S) stronghold.
The party is headed by Mr Kumaraswamy's father and former prime minister, HD Deve Gowda.
On Wednesday, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh was part of a rally in support of the party's candidate DK Suresh, whose brother is a senior state leader.
Another seat in south Karnataka will also go to the polls on the 21st - Mandya. The Congress is fielding Kannada actress Ramya there against CS Puttaraju of the Janata Dal (Secular).
The ruling Congress will hope to win these seats to prove that its young government in the state is being appreciated by the people. The JD(S) would like to hold on to the seats. The BJP is still licking its wounds after its poor performance in the state elections.
Results will be declared on August 24 and will be seen as an indicator of voter sentiment ahead of the national election, in which Karnataka will select 28 MPs for the Lok Sabha.