A prayer on her lips, Swaraj told The Financial Express that although she did not have an `economic package' for Bellary, she would be going all out to woo industry to the constituency through incentives. Focused more on the overall development of the constituency, she said she would `change the face of Bellary' in a year, a difference that would be all the more apparent since "nothing has been done for it so far". Swaraj is looking at developing the infrastructure and amenities in "a methodical way, not patchwork solutions". Rail, roads, irrigation are high on her shopping list.

A backward constituency with a population of a little over 18 lakh, Bellary has to its credit a clutch of steel plants and iron ore mines that are the biggest employers in the organised sector. But, with the market for steel softening up, there is little other organised economic activity to fall back upon.

However, Congress leader and Lok Sabha member from Bellary KC Kondiah, who gave his seat to Sonia, is upbeat on the steel sector. "With Rs 10,000-12,000 crore investment already made by various companies in the sector and the market likely to pick up, steel will continue to the main driver of the local economy," he said.

The ore mines have several players employing over a lakh people with the National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) leading the pack. Much of the ore output from here is feedstock for the local steel industry. So, if steel goes under, so does much of the market for the mines. Not so, says Kondiah, adding emphatically that steel will turn around attracting ancillary units that in turn will generate even more employment while keeping the mines up and running.

Sushma, on the other hand, plans to skim a percentage of the royalties from the ore output to pump into developmental projects. As for attracting industry, she said the approach would be based on the potential of various sectors including cottage industry and agriculture.

With the bigger steel operators here including Jindal Vijaynagar Steel (JVSL), Kalyani and Bellary Steels employing around 4,000 people, expansion of capacity and new units (including JVSL's hot-strip plant) will mean another 4,000-5,000 on the steel payroll.

If Sonia bags the seat, Congress has plans to push Bharat Petroleum's plan for a Rs 60-crore oil distribution plant apart from a liquefied petroleum gas bottling plant to be located in Bellary. Also on the economic agenda here is a thrust on the agro-industry and textiles. Bellary jeans have cornered pockets in the overseas market and the 300 odd small units have clocked annual sales of around Rs 40-50 crore.