Mysuru: With over 10 months remaining for the Karnataka Assembly elections, all the three political parties, the Congress, the JD(S) and the BJP, seems to be in a poll mode.

While the Congress is basking in glory with the Government’s achievements in the last four years and has launched a publicity blitzkrieg, the BJP is silently doing its ‘Vistarak’ programme where leaders are visiting grassroot workers to drum up support. Not to be left behind, the JD(S) has taken up the cudgels for farmers and is raising farmer issues at every available platform.

Yesterday, the party, under the leadership of K.R. Nagar MLA S.R. Mahesh, launched an indefinite dharna at Command Area Development Authority (CADA-Cauvery) office in city demanding immediate release of Cauvery water from the Harangi Dam to Kattepura and Goruru canals for farmers to take up agricultural activities.

The dharna that began in the afternoon entered the second day today and as part of the dharna, the protesters attempted to lock the chamber of CADA Superintending Engineer. The Police, however, prevented the protesters from doing so.

To express solidarity with the agitators and to boost their morale, State JD(S) President Kumaraswamy arrived at the CADA office at around 12.15 pm after visiting Chamundeshwari Temple atop the Chamundi Hill.

Addressing the protesters, Kumaraswamy said that the Congress State Government led by Chief Minister Siddharamaiah was more interested in releasing water to Tamil Nadu than releasing water to canals for farmers to take up agricultural activities. “The State Government has no planning and even last year, it did the same destroying thousands of hectares of standing crops,” he said.

“As per our information, over 15,000 cusecs of water is being released from Harangi, Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS), Kabini dams but a single drop of water has not been released to the canals,” he said and added that while Tamil Nadu was giving a tough time to Karnataka by meticulously planning and filing a series of applications for water release in the Supreme Court, Karnataka’s lawyers were fumbling before the Judges.

Kumaraswamy said that if water was not released to canals within one week, he would lead a padayatra from Hunsur to Bengaluru. During the protest today, Taluk Health Officer Srinivas was stationed beside MLA S.R. Mahesh. The doctor continuously monitored the MLA’s health.

City JD(S) President Harish Gowda, MLCs K.T. Srikantegowda, Appaji Gowda, MLA Chikkamadu, Mayor M.J. Ravikumar, former Mayors, Corporators and party workers were present.