Karnataka   

Congress faces an acid test in Raichur

Raichur: Will the Congress fare well in Raichur and Koppal districts this time?

The party lost its hold over the region in the 1994 Assembly elections when the erstwhile Raichur district had 11 segments — Raichur, Kalmala, Manvi, Deodurga, Sindhanur, Lingsugur, Gangavathi, Koppal, Kustagi, Yelburga and Kanakagiri.

The Janata Dal had emerged stronger winning eight of the eleven seats, while Koppal went to an independent. The Congress won only in Sindhanur and Gangavathi.

Raichur district was divided into two in 1996. After the formation of Koppal district, there was a change in the fortunes of political parties in both the regions.

In 1999 Assembly elections, the Congress won four of the six seats in Raichur district and four of the five seats in Koppal district. Sindhanur and Lingsugur segments in Raichur district and Koppal segment were bagged by Janata Dal (U).

But in the 2004 elections, the Congress again lost its hold over the two districts. The BJP, which had no existence in both the districts till the 1999 elections, emerged strong in Koppal district and Raichur district saw the domination of Janata Dal (S).

The delimitation process has forced the Congress to field new faces in four Assembly segments in Raichur district and Kanakagiri segment in Koppal district. Except the former MLAs Syed Yasin (Raichur) and Hanpangouda Badarli (Sindhanur) and Raichur MP A. Venkatesh Naik, who is contesting the Assembly elections for the first time from Deodurga segment, the party has fielded new faces in Raichur Rural (earlier Kalmala), Manvi, Maski and Lingsugur (SC) segments. Former Minister, Amaregouda Bayyapur, lost a chance to seek re-election from his home constituency (Lingsugur) in the delimitation process. He recently joined the Congress and is contesting from Kustagi segment in Koppal district.

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