M Laxman, the Congress candidate, is pitted against BJP's star candidate, Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the titular head of the Mysuru royal family.

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With survey after survey indicating a virtual walkover for Yaduveer, a worried Siddaramaiah has been stepping up efforts so that he doesn't lose face by failing to win a seat in his own home district.

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Siddaramaiah will camp in Mysuru for two days from Friday, addressing a number of roadside meetings in taluks as part of his candidate's campaign.

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Last week, the Chief Minister had stayed in Mysuru for almost four days and had held several rounds of meetings with the leaders of various communities to seek support for Laxman.

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Several Congress leaders belonging to the Urs community have decided to support Yaduveer even if it amounted to anti-party activity. Some of them have put up posts expressing support for Yaduveer. "Our loyalty is first towards the royal family and then towards our party,” one of them openly stated.

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In view of the growing support for the BJP candidate, Siddaramaiah has started making emotional speeches, urging people to vote for the Congress candidate if they want him to complete the full five-year term. Siddaramaiah is aware that winning Mysuru-Kodagu  and Chamarajanagar seats is integral to maintaining his reputation and his strong position in the party.

According to the chief minister's itinerary, he will arrive in Chamarajanagar in a special chopper on Friday morning to address a public meeting. From there, he will travel to Nanjangud for a public rally before flying to Heggadadevanakote for another public meeting. After this, he will return to Mysuru for an overnight stay.

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On Saturday, he will tour Krishnaraja constituency in Mysuru and then fly to Periya Patna and Hunsur where he will address several public meetings before flying back to Bengaluru.

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Laxman, part of the Chief Minister's inner circle has a mixed reputation while fighting polls, losing even the Legislative Council election. And now pitted as he is, against a popular royal, it will be a minor miracle if he wins, Congress insiders said.