It is generally believed that Devaraj's entry into local politics here made slum-dwellers an important vote bank. Local residents freely admit that Devaraj gave them free rice, notebooks and wall clocks. He also built toilets and provided drinking water to the slums.

Until then, candidates mainly wooed the traders and middle class voters. Chamarajpet has a mix of educated middle class, labour class and traders. All these people want good roads, good sewage, bus depots, markets, public toilets and more.

Until the advent of Devaraj, Chamrajpet was never perceived to be a safe constituency for the Congress. Janata Party and Janata Dal candidates won the seat in 1978, 1983 and 1985. Devaraj won it for the Congress in 1989. Premila Nesargi won it in 1994 for the BJP, defeating Devaraj, who won it back in 1999.

This time, the BJP had given Nesargi the ticket again from Chamrajpet. But when Krishna filed his nomination at the eleventh hour, the BJP leadership in Karnataka decided to field Chandru against him.

The middle-aged Nesargi (in green sari), a lawyer, promptly protested and refused to withdraw her candidature.

The BJP gave in and Chandru offered to withdraw. However, the returning officer finally rejected Nesargi's papers on the grounds that the BJP had not withdrawn the 'B' form issued to Chandru before the time and date fixed for doing so.

Chandru, he said, had been named the BJP's official candidate and Nesargi was only the substitute candidate.

Photograph: B K Ramesh