Karnataka - Gulbarga   

Congress loses edge in Gulbarga district

T.V. Sivanandan

GULBARGA: The reconstitution of the Gulbarga Lok Sabha constituency and reserving it for the Scheduled Caste will have a lasting impact on the politics in the district and the political fortunes of the major communities and minorities in the district.

The Delimitation Commission has included Bidar Lok Sabha Constituency in the general category and has reserved the Gulbarga Lok Sabha seat for Scheduled Caste. A major drawback for Gulbarga district now was lack of senior Scheduled Caste leader. Except for a few leaders like Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president M. Mallikarjun Kharge, Rajya Sabha member K.B. Shanappa, who belongs to the BJP, the former Gulbarga Development Authority Chairman Vittal Doddamani, a close relative of Mr. Kharge, and the former MLC Maruti Rao Male, not many leaders are available with the major parties.

The change in the category of the Gulbarga Lok Sabha Constituency also comes as a blow to the aspirations of the minorities, particularly Muslims. Gulbarga had thrice elected Muslim candidates to the Lok Sabha and the constituency because of the sizeable presence of Muslim population was turning into a pocket borough for Muslims. In the last two elections, Iqbal Ahmed Saradgi of the Congress got elected.

The efforts of the major parties to keep Gulbarga Lok Sabha Constituency for the general category by retaining the Kamalapur Assembly segment in Bidar and including Aland Assembly segment, which was now in Bidar, in Gulbarga, did not cut ice with the Delimitation Commissioner. The parties also wanted the inclusion of Chincholi Assembly segment in Bidar Lok Sabha Constituency.

The inclusion of Aland Assembly segment in Gulbarga Lok Sabha Constituency and inclusion of Chincholi Assembly segment in Bidar Lok Sabha Constituency would have ensured reduction of Scheduled Caste population in Gulbarga Lok Sabha Constituency and increase in the Scheduled Caste population in Bidar.

The redrawing of the boundaries of the Gulbarga Lok Sabha Constituency will change the political equations. The major contributory to the Congress vote bank in Gulbarga district was Gurmitkal, a pocket borough of Mr. Kharge. This time, the Gurmitkal has been converted as a general constituency and Mr. Kharge is not likely to contest in the constituency in the next elections. The inclusion of the Kamalapur Assembly segment, which has been a BJP bastion, is a positive development for the party. The transfer of Chincholi Assembly Segment to Bidar Lok Sabha Constituency would affect the chances of the Congress.

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