Congress spokesperson Kallige Taranath Shetty believes the trends are in his party's favour since it won four out of the eight assembly segments in the constituency.
"This is our best chance," he says. "If we do not win this time, it is better for the Congress to wind up and not contest the Dakshina Kannada seat in the future."
Monappa Bhandary, the BJP's district president, argues that Mangalore voters have thrice rejected Poojary and are unlikely to change their position this election. "We are not looking at caste equations," he says, "unlike the Congress and we have projected a leader who is acceptable to all."
Image: Janardhan Poojary undertakes a door-to-door campaign.
Also see: In Shimoga, a CM's son faces a former CM | India Votes 2009
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