BJP candidate Janardhan Swamy too says that his top most priority would be to address the water issue first. "During each leg of my campaign, voters have said that I should address this issue," he says. Interestingly, every candidate campaigning in this constituency is basing his campaign on the water issue.

A very aggressive woman, Chinamma at Shira, a village in Chitradurga has been confronting every candidate in this village and telling them, "You take care of us, our water problems and Bharat Mata, and we will take care of you. Once you people win, act like you have had tiger's milk. Please don't take our votes and then act as though you have drunk donkey's milk."

Veerabhadraiah, a farmer, says: "We have stopped tilling our fields due to the acute water crisis. We keep substituting between coconut, paddy and sun flower depending on the water we get. However, since the past couple of years, we have stopped growing paddy here since the rains have failed miserably and the administration has done nothing about the water problem. Due to this crisis people have literally stopped tilling fields. Although no one has taken any drastic step or sold of their lands, people are sure leaving the place and hunting for jobs in the city."

Image: Empty pots in Shira taluka clearly indicate that the issue here is of water.

Also see: From slum to crorepati, can he be an MP?

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