Lok Sabha elections: Battle for survival and prestige in Karnataka

Desi57

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There is a visible wave of Narendra Modi in major cities and some urban areas. But, in rural areas, caste still is a dominant factor.

Bangalore: All 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka will be voting on April 17 in a single phase. This Lok Sabha election has become a true battle of prestige for over a dozen leaders from different political parties. As a well known analyst says prestige of these leaders is at stake in this election.

There is a visible wave of Narendra Modi in major cities and some urban areas. But, in rural areas, caste still is a dominant factor. Siddaramaiah, who became the chief minister after the Congress returned to power after 9 years in May 2013, is trying his best to win at least 15 Lok Sabha seats for the party. He is aware of the fact that if the Congress gets less than that, his chair will be under threat.

He has extensively toured the state and tried to mobilise the support of his AHINDA (a combination of Minorities, Dalits and Other Backward classes) vote bank for the Congress. He is fighting a resurgent BJP which is riding high on a perceived Modi wave across Karnataka. The BJP is making all possible efforts to win at least 15 seats in the state.

The JDS led by the Gowda family is fighting for its political survival. If it loses this election, then it will be the end of road for the JDS. If the JDS wins at least 3-4 Lok Sabha seats, it can retain its relevance.

In 2009, the ruling BJP led by BS Yeddyurappa won 19 seats. The Congress won just 6 and the remaining 3 went to the JDS. This time the Congress is trying to reverse the trends.

Bangalore City

The most keenly watched electoral battle is taking place in Bangalore South. Co-founder of IT giant Infosys Nandan Nilekani is making his electoral debut against five-time BJP MP Ananth Kumar. The prestige of Nilekani, the richest candidate in the entire India, who has declared total personal assets worth over Rs.7710 crore is at stake in this election. He is being seen as a high command candidate and the local Congress has campaigned for him.

Ananth Kumar is banking on Modi wave and claims that it is a national election and the fight is between Modi and Rahul Gandhi. But Nilekani has tried to make it a fight between him and Ananth Kumar, whom he calls an absentee MP.

Bangalore South has over 5 lakh Vokkaligas and they will decide the outcome of the poll.

In Bangalore Central, Rahul Gandhi has fielded his protégé and state youth Congress president Rizwan Arshad by denying ticket to one time Congress stalwart CK Jaffer Sharief. Rizwan is pitted against the sitting BJP MP PC Mohan and AAP candidate, ex-Infosys CFO V Balakrishnan. Bangalore Central has a large number of Muslim and Christian votes. It is also the richest constituency in the entire state.

In Bangalore North, former chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda of the BJP has put up a decent fight against C Narayanaswamy of the Congress. The JDS has fielded a retired police officer Abdul Ajeem. The AAP candidate is a noted law professor Babu Mathew. Bangalore North has the highest number of voters, almost 23 lakh.

Old Mysore and coastal Karnataka

The only former prime minister in the fray in the entire India, 82 years old HD Deve Gowda is fighting his 15th direct election. He has been contesting since 1962. Perhaps it is going to be his last election.

The Congress has fielded sitting MLA A Manju against him. The BJP has fielded a Kuruba candidate and former MP from Mysore CH Vijayashankar against Gowda.

In Mandya, sitting Congress MP and actress Ramya is seeking a second term. With the backing of former chief minister of SM Krishna and cine star turned politician Ambareesh, Ramya is giving a good fight to the JDS.

In Siddaramaiah's hometown of Mysore, the Congress has an edge over the BJP and JDS. In neighbouring Chamarajanagar, the sitting Congress MP Dhruvanarayana is also ahead of the BJP.

In Bangalore Rural, sitting MP DK Suresh is the brother of minister and Congress strongman D K Shivakumar. He is expected to win by a big margin as the BJP and the JDS are not strong here.

In Kolar, Union minister K H Muniyappa is seeking a 7th straight term. In Chikkaballapura, Union minister M Veerappa Moily is facing former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy of the JDS. Moily is facing anti-incumbency and battling internal fights.

Tumkur is witnessing a triangular fight. In Chitradurga and Davanagere, seats Congress and BJP are in a direct contest.

In the prestigious Shimoga Lok Sabha seat, former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa is fighting a tough battle. He has replaced his son and sitting MP BY Raghavendra as the BJP candidate.

The JDS has fielded former chief minister S Bangarappa's daughter and daughter in law of Kannada thespian Rajkumar against him. She is banking on her father's appeal and her caste Idiga votes.

In Udupi-Chikmagalur, Shobha Karandlaje, a close confidante of Yeddyurappa is taking on the sitting MP of the Congress Jayaprakash Hegde. In Dakshina Kannada (Mangalore), veteran Congress leader B Janardhana Poojary is fighting his last election. The victory has eluded him since 1991. He is trying to reclaim the seat from the BJP. He has already lost 4 Lok Sabha elections from the same seat.

Mumbai-Karnataka region

Mumbai-Karnataka region has 7 Lok Sabha seats. Last time the BJP swept all 7 seats. It is a Ligayat dominated area and Yeddyurappa enjoys a lot of clout here. But the situation seems to have changed in the region since its big victory in 2009. Yeddyurappa, who is sidelined after his return to the party, did not show much interest in the campaigning.

State BJP president and sitting MP Prahlad Joshi is fighting a tough battle in Dharwad. He is taking on Vinay Kulkarni of the Congress. Kulkarni, a sitting MLA is a Lingayat and considered a strong leader. Joshi is also facing Pramod Muthalik of the Sri Rama Sene, whose induction into the BJP was cancelled in less than 5 hours in March.

Muslim leader of the Congress Salim Ahmad is once again trying his luck from Haveri, which he lost in 2009. He is banking on the anti-incumbency wave in the seat. The sitting MP Shivakumar Udasi is facing charges of corruption and it may work against the BJP. Like most other seats, Udasi is also banking on Modi wave to sail through this time.

Bagalkot in northern part is witnessing a fierce battle. The Congress has fielded a strong candidate Ajaykumar Sarnaik against the sitting MP of the BJP Gaddigoudar. In Bijapur, sitting BJP MP Ramesh Jigajinagi is on a strong wicket.

In Belgaum, the sitting MP Suresh Angadi is facing an acid test this time. The powerful Jharkiholi family is working against him to settle a personal score with him. The Congress has fielded a woman candidate Lakshmi Hebbalkar from here. The JDS candidate has defected to the Congress in Belgaum.

Chikkodi Lok Sabha seat in Belgaum district is witnessing an interesting fight. State minister Prakash Hukkeri is fielded by the Congress against the sitting BJP MP Ramesh Katti. A reluctant Hukkeri is fighting a do or die battle here.

In Uttara Kannada, only semi-coastal and semi-hilly constituency of the region, the sitting BJP MP Ananthkumar Hegde is fighting a tough battle. He is facing district in charge minister RV Deshpande's son and Union minister Praful Patel's son in law Prashanth Deshpande, who is making his electoral debut in this election.

Hyderabad-Karnataka region

Hyderabad-Karnataka region has 5 Lok Sabha seats including Bellary. In Gulbarga, Union Railways minister M Mallikarjuna Kharge is fighting a tough battle. The BJP has once again fieled former minister and sitting MLA Revoo Naik Belamagi against him. Even though local reports indicate that Kharge will win this time too, it won't be easy for him to retain the seat this time.

In Raichur and Koppal, the Congress and the BJP are in a close contest. In Bidar, the northern most district of Karnataka, former chief minister and sitting Congress MP Dharam Singh is also fighting his last election. He is pitted against a Lingayat candidate. Local report indicate that it won't be easy for Dharam Singh to retain his seat this time.

Facts and figures

- Of the state's 6 crore 39 lakh population, 4.6 crore are the electorate, with 2.35 crore male and 2.26 crore female voters eligible to cast their votes.

- Since the state assembly elections were held in May 2013, the Election Commission has added a whopping 23 lakh new voters during the last 10 months, including 90,000 online.

- The number of voters has increased by 45 lakh from the 2009 general elections when the total electorate was 4.18 Crore.

- The highest number of voters across the state is in the 30-39 years age group with 1.18 crore accounting for 26.3 percent of the electorate, followed by 1 crore 4 lakh in the 20-29 years age group (23.4 percent), 900,000 in the 40-49 years age group (20.2 percent), 6, 13,000 in the 50-59 years group (13.8 percent) and 3, 80,000 in the 60-69 age group (8.6 percent.)

- Polling booths - 54,261 and electronic voting machines (EVMs) proportionately. Voting time - (11 hours) from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

- The Bangalore North constituency has the largest number of 23 lakh voters and Udupi-Chickmagalur has the least number of 14 lakh voters. .

- In all, 434 candidates, including 21 women and 195 independents are in the fray.

Key Candidates -

- Nandan Nilekani v/s Ananthkumar - Bangalore South

- HD Deve Gowda - Hassan - The only former PM in the fray. This is his 15th direct election since 1962.

- BS Yeddyurappa - Shimoga

- B Sriramulu - Bellary

M Veerappa Moily v/s H D Kumaraswamy - Chikballapur

K H Muniyappa - Kolar - Seeking a 7th consecutive term

M Mallikarjuna Kharge - Gulbarga

N Dharam Singh - Bidar