BJP hopeful of reclaiming all 14 K'taka LS seats, Cong confident of good show

M.K. Ashoka

Bengaluru, May 5 (IANS) Campaigning for 14 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka going to polls in the third phase of elections on May 7 will come to an end on Sunday evening. 

The 14 seats located in the north Karnataka region are considered BJP's bastion and in 2019 it won all the seats. However, this time Congress is aiming for a good show.

The plethora of issues, including the sensational murder case of MCA student Neha Hiremath, the obscene video scandal involving former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda’s grandson, JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna and arrested son H.D. Revanna, Muslim reservation in OBC quota, Congress' inheritance law and redistribution of wealth plans, drought, promises of guarantees, are likely to impact the mind-set of the voters.

A total of 227 candidates, including 21 women and 117 independents, are contesting the 14 Lok Sabha seats. The total number of voters is 2.59 crore (2,59,17,493).

The political heavyweights such as former Chief Ministers Basavaraj Bommai & Jagadish Shettar, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister for State Bhagwanth Khuba, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s son-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani, former CM B.S. Yediyurappa’s son B.Y. Raghavendra, former DyCM & ex-Speaker Vishweshvara Hegde Kageri and expelled BJP leader K.S. Eshwarappa are contesting.

The results are crucial for the political careers of Union Minister Pralhad Joshi (Dharwad), Jagdish Shettar (Belagavi), Eshwarappa (Shivamogga), Radhakrishna Doddamani (Kalaburagi). It is a matter of prestige also for Kharge and Yediyurappa to ensure the victories of their son-in-law and son respectively.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, DyCM D.K. Shivakumar, BJP State President B.Y. Vijayendra, Yediyurappa, Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka and other prominent leaders are carrying out the last leg of the campaign.

The 14 Lok Sabha seats are Chikkodi, Belagavi, Kalaburagi, Bagalkot, Vijayapura, Haveri, Davanagere, Kalaburagi, Raichur, Koppal, Bidar, Ballary, Dharwad in north Karnataka, the hilly district of Shivamogga and the coastal district of Uttara Kannada.

The sitting ministers in the state have fielded their kin in the election and want to launch them into national politics. Karnataka Minister for Women and Child Welfare Laxmi Hebbalkar’s son Mrinal Hebbalkar is fielded from Belagavi and is taking on former CM and BJP candidate Shettar.

Priyanka Jarkiholi, daughter of Minister for PWD Satish Jarkiholi is taking on BJP’s Anna Saheb Jolle in the Chikkodi seat. Sagar Khadre, son of Minister for Forest Eshwar Khandre is pitched against Union Minister of State Khuba from Bidar. Samyukta Patil, daughter of state Minister for Agricultural Marketing Shivanand Patil is contesting against BJP’s senior leader P.C. Gaddigoudar from Bagalkot.

Former Union Minister G.M. Siddeshwar’s wife Gayathri Siddeshwar has been allotted a BJP ticket from Davanagere. She is pitched against Prabha Mallikarjun, wife of Kannada superstar Dr. Shivarajkumar and sister of state Minister for Education Madhu Bangarappa. She is the daughter of the late CM S. Bangarappa.

Internal fighting is affecting both national parties. However, the BJP is confident of retaining all 14 Lok Sabha seats and repeating the feat of the 2019 general election. The Congress party is also optimistic of getting benefits from its guarantee schemes this time.

The Neha Hiremath case will likely polarize the Hindu vote, especially the influential Lingayat community towards the BJP. The Congress is calculating that the Prajwal Revanna episode will benefit them.