The Hindu : BJP gaining strength in Congress bastion

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 21, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

BJP gaining strength in Congress bastion

By D.K. Kishan Rao

RAICHUR, FEB. 20. The Raichur Lok Sabha cnstituency is considered a strong fortress of the Congress. Except in 1967 and 1996, the party won the seat on all other occasions since 1957.

The constituency has eight Assembly segments of Raichur, Manvi, Deodurga, Kalmala, Lingsugur, Yadgir, Shahapur, and Surpur. The last three segments are in Gulbarga district. The sizeable Naik population and the number of the backward class votes in the constituency are an advantage to the Congress.

It was Raja Ambanna Naik and Mr. Venkatesh Naik of the party who were elected to the Lok Sabha in 1989 and 1991, respectively.

However, in the 1996 elections, the constituency elected Raja Rangappa Naik of the Janata Dal. Mr. Venkatesh Naik regained the seat in 1999.

In the 1999 Lok Sabha elections, Mr. Venkatesh Naik won by a record margin of 1,72,206 votes by gaining a lead in all the eight Assembly segments in the constituency over Abdul Sammad Siddiqui of the Janata Dal (United).

Mr. Venkatesh Naik polled 3,59,946 votes while Mr. Siddiqui got 1,87,740 votes.

In the last elections, there were 12.25 lakh voters and the revision of the rolls has been completed but the final tally is yet to be announced. In the Assembly elections in 1999, the Congress swept the polls winning seven of the eight Assembly seats.

There was speculation that the former Minister, M.S. Patil, may contest the Lok Sabha elections when he recently joined the Janata Dal (Secular). However, he decided to fight the Assembly elections from Raichur segment.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is gaining strength in the constituency as many leaders such as Venkat Rao Nadagouda, State unit General Secretary, K. Suresh Reddy, former President of the zilla panchayat, and K. Sharanappa, President of the district unit of the All India Progressive Janata Dal, have joined the party.

The party is in an upbeat mood after Abdul Sammad Siddiqui joined the party recently. Although Gangadhara Yeli, a Congress-turned BJP leader, is a contender for the ticket, the party may field Mr. Siddiqui to fight the Lok Sabha elections.

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