NEW DELHI, DEC 5: If the preparation being made by Bahujan Samaj Party leader Arif Mohammed Khan for contesting the Bellary Lok Sabha by-election is any indication, BSP chief Kanshi Ram is dead serious about gaining a foothold in the South.For the last one week or so, Khan has plunged headlong into learning Kannada and has already learnt to write a few words in the language. And on December 16, when his candidature from the constituency in Karnataka will be formally announced at a rally in Bellary, he will make a speech in Kannada. Taking inspiration from BJP candidate Sushma Swaraj, whose Kannada was a big hit with the Bellary voters, Khan has engaged a Kannada tutor. ``I am working on my Kannada eight hours a day,'' he says.Kanshi Ram has directed the BSP's Karnataka unit to make all-out efforts to put up a good fight so that the party can create a base for itself in the State even if it were to lose. Of course, the BSP chief does not want to lose here and so plans to concentrate on Bellary over thenext two months. He will be in Bellary on December 16 and will return to the town on December 20 to stay there for three more days.The by-election, necessitated by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's vacating the seat, is likely to be held by the end of February.The chances of victory for the BSP hinge largely on the Congress conceding the seat in its favour. Kanshi Ram has been telling the Congress that the BSP withdrew its candidate in Bellary and now wants that party to reciprocate.The BSP's calculation is that the Congress cannot afford to lose the party's goodwill. By sending the message that it is serious about its candidature and making early preparations, the BSP wants to send a clear message that its claim cannot be wished away. Getting the Congress to concede the seat however is easier said than done. There are quite a few serious contenders for the seat from within the party. S Shivashankarappa who lost the Lok Sabha elections from the neighbouring Davangere seat is among those who have settheir eyes on Bellary.
