UNDERSTATED CAMPAIGNERS

ANANTH KUMAR, 54, BJP

A five-time MP, he entered parliament when the BJP was a non-entity in Karnataka. Together with the late VS Acharya and BS Yeddyurappa, he is credited with building the saffron party here. He fell out with Yeddyurappa but the two claim that they are back to being best of buddies. He was accused in the R15,000 crore HUDCO housing scam and the Nira Radia scandal. His campaigning has been understated and Modi-centric.

NANDAN NILEKANI, 58, CONG

A debutant in the political arena, the ex-Infosys entrepreneur maintained good relations with BJP leaders and the AAP movement until he joined the Congress. He has maintained a studied silence over key issues such as corruption and communalism. A socialist’s son, he is said to prefer capital intensive model of growth. He has avoided referring to either UPA or Congress, and has based his campaign on UIDAI and its Aadhaar project.

NINA NAYAK, 60, AAP

She shot to fame as a child rights activist and was the chairperson of Karnataka State Commission to Protect Child Rights. When some groups were demanding death penalty for one of the underage convicts in the Delhi rape case, Nayak stuck to the guiding principles of Juvenile Justice Act and said children cannot be treated on a par with adult criminals. Absence of money and manpower is evident in her campaign.