Bangalore:
Two Lok Sabha seats in south Karnataka voted on Wednesday to choose MPs for the remaining months of this Lok Sabha term. The seats of Mandya and Bangalore Rural fell vacant after the sitting MPs from the Janata Dal (Secular) resigned to join the Karnataka assembly as MLAs after elections in May.
The contest is clear - it's the JD(S) vs the Congress. In Bangalore Rural, former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy of the JD(S) gave up his seat to join the state assembly. But he does hope to keep the seat in the family. The party's candidate is Anita Kumaraswamy, his wife. Shortly after voting in Ketiganahalli village near Bangalore, Anita said, "The response is very good. I am confident that I will win."
When asked about criticism that JD(S) was a family run party - and that Anita contesting for the seat her husband vacated only proved this, Mr Kumaraswamy told NDTV, "In this country, they want to pinpoint Deve Gowda's family as the father-son party. What about Congress? Mother-son is running the party there?"
The Congress fielded DK Suresh, brother of the controversial former state party working president, DK Shivakumar.
Mr Shivakumar was not considered for a cabinet berth in the Siddaramaiah ministry, despite wielding considerable clout, because of corruption charges.
"It is not a tough election. This is the first election I am facing but I have already faced 10 to 20 elections for my brother," Mr Suresh told NDTV.
And his brother Mr Shivakumar added, "The people of both the Parliamentary constituencies will vote the Congress party candidate."
The other seat that voted was Mandya. The Congress candidate is actress Ramya, who stood against CS Puttaraju of the Janata Dal (Secular).
And where is the BJP in all this? The party which ruled Karnataka for five turbulent years is not even contesting either seat - but withdrew its candidates in favour of the JD(S).
It is a battle between a regional party, the Janata Dal (Secular) and a national party, the Congress for these two Lok Sabha seats in southern Karnataka. The other national party, the BJP, is still licking its wounds after its dismal performance in the Assembly elections in May. Whoever wins will only be an MP for a few months before the Lok Sabha elections roll around. But it is a matter of prestige for the parties involved.