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Karnataka

Karnataka

Congress struggling in Bagalkot

T.V. Sivanandan

The party drew a blank in 2004 polls

Sangh Parivar outfits decide not to support BJP
Familiar foes in the fray in many constituencies

BAGALKOT: The battle lines are drawn and after the initial hiccups in the camps of all major contenders to the power over the selection of party candidates in all the seven Assembly constituencies in the irrigation rich Bagalkot districts, the contesting candidates are bracing themselves for an intense campaign before the May 22 polling.

The stakes for the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are high in the district. The Congress drew blank in the 2004 elections and is struggling to have a political toehold in the district now.

The infighting and factionalism has been the cause for the Congress’s poor show in successive elections in Bagalkot. The party suffered negative swing of 10.85 percentage point in vote share in 2004 and the BJP won six of the seven seats and the remaining one seat went to the Janata Dal (S).

The Congress, without taking any chances, has pitched in senior and time-tested leaders as candidates in all the constituencies and brought in some glamour to the contest by fielding popular Kannada actor Umashri, who is a well known theatre personality in Terdal Assembly Constituency, dominated by weavers. Ms. Umashri belongs to weavers’ community.

The Congress hopes to turn a new leaf and regain the lost ground in Bagalkot district with the induction of the former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The BJP, which is not free from factionalism, is putting up a united show in this election to repeat its 2004 performance and retain its hold in the district.

The decision of the Sangh Pariwar outfits like the Bajrang Dal and the Ram Sena and other fringe organisations which are strong in a few pockets of the district, not to support the BJP candidates in the election may prove to be a dampener for the party. Umashri of the Congress has a formidable rival in Siddu Savadi of the BJP, who won the Jamkhandi seat in 2004.

Mudhol (Reserved) Assembly segment is likely to see a close contest between old rivals Govind Karjol of the BJP and R.B. Thimmapur of the Congress.

In Bagalkot City Assembly Constituency, the former MLA Veeranna Charanthimath, the former Minister H.Y. Meti of the Congress, a senior Kuruba leader, and V.H. Pujar, who is contesting on the Janata Dal (Secular) ticket are in the fray.

Mr. Pujar won the Bagalkot city seat for the BJP in 1999 elections and incidentally he was the first to open the account for BJP in Bagalkot district. In 2004 elections, Mr. Pujar was denied the party ticket in favour of Mr. Charanthimath.

Badami will see familiar foes M.K. Pattanshetty of the BJP and the former Minister B.B. Chimmanakatti of the Congress locking horns and in Bilagi, the former Minister Ajaykumar Sarnaik, a close confident of the former Minister H.K. Patil is pitted against industrialist and former MLA Murugesh Nirani of the BJP and Basavaprabhu Sarnadagowda of the Janata Dal (S).

In Hungund, the former MLA Doddanagowda Patil of the BJP and Vijayand Kashappanavar, son of the former Minister late Kashappanavar, of the Congress are in fray. In Jamkhandi, the former MP Siddu Nyamagowda of the Congress will face BJP’s Srikant Kulkarni.

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