Bengaluru: Wrecked by the talks that his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy would end up tasting defeat in the Mandya Lok Sabha poll, Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy has resorted to surveys.
 
With just a fortnight left before the May 23 results, the chief minister has sought another survey from the local MLAs and booth level in-charges. The last survey that he had ordered indicated that Nikhil would scrape through with a slender margin of 60,000 votes in the 16 lakh-plus voting population.
 
The latest instruction from the chief minister stems from the thought that women have voted en masse, the internal rebellion in the JD(S) which may impact Nikhil’s prospects adversely.
 
Sumalatha throwing in her hat despite several requests from the party bigwigs is the main reason why Kumaraswamy feels so jittery. Right throughout the campaign, the independently contesting candidate, Sumalatha, backed by the BJP, has had to receive several affronts. From being called an outsider to being insulted as ‘mayangane’ (one who casts her magical spell), she faced it all.
 
Back to the issue of surveys, minister GT Devegowda (GTD) had said that several JD(S) party workers had voted for the BJP, as they were apparently not happy with the coalition and other local issues.
 
In fact, Kumaraswamy, who was in Udupi, undergoing treatment in a private resort, at that point in time was so perturbed by his statement that he had ordered the resort staff to install more TVs to watch the analysis of GTD’s statements.
 
The next day, he had even performed ‘Shatrusamhara’ puja or a ritual done to allegedly destroy one’s enemies.
 
The chief minister does exude confidence and sanguinity in his son’s victory, but the very fact that he appears to be edgy has given the BJP the fulcrum to criticise him.
 
“He should stop feeling jittery and start worrying for the people of the state. The elections are over and the results are in the box. As it is fait accompli, any number of surveys will not alter the course of results. He should immediately stop it,” said Shreenath Sheshadrii, a BJP spokesperson.