Karnataka assembly elections are now just a day away. The southern state has six regions and elections in each region are also unique. As part of our special series, News18 reporters travel to each of the six constituencies to get a pulse of the electorate and give a 360-degree view of which way the political wind is blowing.
From the areca-rich lands of Shivamogga to the nutty aromatic coffee country Chikkamagaluru, the rocky and picturesque Chitradurga, and the textile and education hub Davanagere – the central Karnataka region is witnessing an exciting political battle.
Central Karnataka comprises 26 of the state’s 224 assembly constituencies. The electoral battle here is between anti-incumbency and development, while there is a strong Hindutva undercurrent in voters’ minds in four key districts – Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Chitradurga and Davangere.
Not only are each district different in its voting pattern, but they are also diametrically opposite in terms of their economy and caste composition. The five high-profile seats that are the main attractions of the region are Shikaripura, Sorab, Shivamogga City, Chikkamagaluru and Chitradurga.
Two seats in the lush Malnad region – Shikaripura and Sorab – are witnessing an electoral battle with the sons of two former chief ministers, BS Yediyurappa and S Bangarappa. Other seats are witnessing a triangular contest as the Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) are contesting.
Shikaripura, the prestigious seat from where former chief minister and senior BJP leader B.Y. Though pollsters say Vijayendra will be able to win the seat, the debutant is facing resistance from the Banjara community, which has around 32,000 votes in the region. The Banjara community is opposing the state government’s recommendation on internal reservation and is demanding its withdrawal. The protest reached its peak when Yediyurappa’s residence in Shikaripura was pelted with stones. Vijayendra has been working towards convincing the community that the issues will be resolved and sought their support to take the BJP to victory.
Shikaripura has been a Yeddyurappa stronghold and a seat from where the BJP has won year after year since the senior leader contested. There were two exceptions in 1999 when Yeddyurappa was defeated by a Congress candidate, and once again in 2013 when he broke away from the BJP and formed the Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP).
The Shivamogga assembly constituency has been in the limelight for violent communal clashes and rising communal tension due to the murder of Bajrang Dal worker Harsha. The election is looking tough on the prestigious Shivamogga City seat, considered a stronghold of the BJP. The dramatic retirement of former Deputy CM and senior BJP leader KS Eshwarappa after being denied a ticket for the Shivamogga City seat took the election drama up a notch, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon asked the leader to wait for a “big opportunity”. called upon to do. “Persuaded Eshwarappa to stop sulking and work to bring BJP back to power.
The BJP has fielded SN Channabasappa, a new face but a close aide of Eshwarappa and a loyal party worker. Channabasappa was arrested after he threatened to “behead the then Congress chief minister Siddaramaiah” and “play football with his severed head” for eating beef. He is up against another rebel BJP leader Ayanur Manjunath, who switched to the JD(S).
A two-hour drive from Shikaripura is another high-octane fight between two brothers of former Chief Minister S Bangarappa – Kumar and Madhu Bangarappa. This is the seat that the Bangarappa family has won 12 out of 13 times since 1967.
Kumar, the sitting MLA of BJP, is seeking re-election as he is contesting against his younger brother Madhu who is the Congress candidate. Sorab’s voters are keenly watching the election pitches of the two brothers as elder brother Kumar names PM Modi and the BJP’s “double-engine government” to show that the party can bring development to the region. He doesn’t miss. An opportunity to also mention the political legacy of his father S Bangarappa.
Younger brother Madhu is also rising on the legacy of Bangarappa and seeking votes and goodwill in favor of Congress. He recalls the contribution of the Congress under chief ministers S Bangarappa, his father and Siddaramaiah.
“There is no Modi connect here. It is my father Bangarappa who gave electricity and other facilities to the people here. People know this and they know who is the better candidate,” Madhu said.
Brother has also jumped from one party to another like his father. Madhu, who was initially with the JD(S), shifted to the Congress in 2021. Kumar, who won at least three terms on a Congress ticket, shifted to the BJP in 2018 and is seeking re-election.
The neighboring Chikkamagaluru constituency is witnessing a prestige battle as the contest is between BJP general secretary CT Ravi and his close aide HD Thamayya, who joined the Congress after being closely associated with Ravi for over two decades. Friend-turned-foe Thamayya joined the Congress in February and is trying to cash in on Lingayat sentiment. Sources close to the political developments in the region say Ravi is facing a backlash from Lingayats, who have felt betrayed by the BJP over their demand for reservation and a separate religion tag. Ravi, who is a four-time MLA from this seat, is hoping that voters will support him.
Thamayya, known to be a good orator, organizer and formerly a Congressman, is considered to be a person who understands the pulse of the BJP even after working with Ravi. Local reports indicate that Ravi is facing an anti-incumbency wave, which the Congress is hoping to cash in on.
Chitradurga and Davangere districts are also witnessing interesting contests. Chitradurga is witnessing a fierce battle of defectors, but despite this, this area is very important for both Congress and BJP. The region has a sizeable population of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and the absence of influential Valmiki leader B. Sriramulu, who has given up his seat in Molakalmuru, will have an impact on this election. In the 2018 assembly elections, Sriramulu contested from the constituency and this gave the saffron party at least five more seats in Chitradurga district. Sriramulu is contesting from Bellary Rural this time. Seeing the opportunity, the Congress and the JD(S) are pushing themselves to wrest power away from BJP candidate GH Thippareddy, who has a good reputation in the constituency and has won Chitradurga several times in the past. The Congress has fielded KC Virendra Pappi and JD(S)’s G Raghu Achar.
In Davangere, Karnataka’s educational hub, the BJP is hoping to capitalize on three issues – the number of Lingayats, the handsome fund allocation for the district’s development, and the recent increase in quotas for the community. The BJP government had given an additional 2% reservation to Lingayats, 2% to Scheduled Castes and 4% to Scheduled Tribes, which Davangere and Chitradurga are expected to cash in on.
On the ground, the BJP is currently dealing with allegations of defection and corruption, especially after Channagiri MLA Madal Virupakshappa was arrested by the Lokayukta on corruption charges. Meanwhile, the Congress is hoping to win at least five of the seven seats in Davangere district and is making corruption its main plank.
The BJP won 21 of the 26 seats in the region in the 2018 elections and hopes its Hindutva pitch will resonate with voters. The Congress has decided to use the weapon of corruption to target the BJP by making KS Eshwarappa and Madal Virupakshappa the poster boys of its campaign. The JD(S), though trying to make inroads in this fight, is hoping to capitalize on the sentiment of giving “a chance to the regional party”.
read all latest politics news And karnataka election 2023 update here