Kanakapura Assembly constituency, nestled amid rocky terrains, is the mighty fortress of the Congress. KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar, a seven-time MLA, has been elected three times from this constituency, located on the outskirts of Bengaluru.
D.K. Shivakumar, Congress candidate | Photo Credit:
To break the political stronghold of Mr. Shivakumar, the BJP has this time fielded Revenue Minister R. Ashok, six-time MLA, and former Deputy Chief Minister, who also belongs to the Vokkaliga community.
Challenge for Ashok
The BJP seems to have thrown a challenge to Mr. Ashok by asking him to contest from Kanakapura and Padmanabhanagar constituencies. It is a challenge to him to retain his seat in Padmanabhanagar and prove his popularity in the Vokkaliga-dominated Kanakapura too.
The task before Mr. Ashok seems to be to break the dominance of the Congress by dividing the Vokkaliga vote bank, if not a victory in Kanakapura. BJP candidates had not secured more than 7,000 votes in the constituency in the last two Assembly elections. The JD(S) has nominated B. Nagaraju, also a Vokkagaliga.
R. Ashok, BJP candidate | Photo Credit:
Mr. Ashok has visited the constituency only once after he filed his nomination. “There are no BJP workers here. The BJP is making Mr. Ashok a scapegoat in this election,” said K.N. Venkatesh, former Kanakapura CMC president.
Wife steps in
As Mr. Shivakumar has been campaigning in other constituencies, his wife, Usha Shivakumar, is involved in a door-to-door campaign and distributing pamphlets. During an interview with The Hindu, she said, “I am campaigning on behalf of my husband. We are informing voters of the development work done here. The response is very good. They are welcoming me with love and affection.”
Usha Sivakumar, campaigning for her husband, D.K. Shivakumar, Congress candidate, in Kanakapura town. | Photo Credit: K. MURALI KUMAR
During the day-long tour in the constituency, The Hindu spoke to many people across castes and communities, many of whom referred to Mr. Shivakumar as “DK Saheb” and said that others do not stand a chance.
The constituency was once a stronghold of the JD(S). Ramakrishna Hegde contested a byelection from this constituency when he became the Chief Minister in 1983. The veteran Janata Parivar leader P.G.R. Sindhia has won six times from Kanakapura.
“An adjustment politics” between family members of Mr. Shivakumar and JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy led to the decline of the JD(S) vote bank in the constituency,” said a BJP leader on the condition of anonymity.
During Mr. Shivakumar’s term, the constituency saw development works over the years in terms of school buildings, power stations, roads, and taluk panchayat buildings. “Many basic facilities have been provided. But we face the problem of unemployment. A large number of people migrate to Bengaluru for jobs,” said Basavaraj, a drama teacher.
Open drains issue
In the Kanakapura town, women complained about the existence of open drains in front of their houses. During the Congress campaign, they complained that the open drainage system leads to a foul smell and during the rainy season these drains overflow and pollute the surroundings.
In rural areas, water pipes were laid under the Jal Jeevan Mission but residents have not yet been provided drinking water. “We still depend on our own wells,” said Guruvaiah, who runs a petty shop at Bekuppe Circle.
Aware of more development works to be done in the constituency, the party’s pamphlet says: “Madida kelasa sakashtu, madabekadaddu bahalashtu” (Many works have been done, more works are to be done).
Besides dominant Vokkaligas who constitute nearly a lakh voters, as per estimates, the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribe, and other backward caste communities such as Kurubas, Kumbaras, Ganigas, Gollas, and Agasas form a sizable population.
Given its proximity to Bengaluru, the real estate business has increased land prices in the region. The Mekedatu project proposed for catering to the drinking water needs of Bengaluru, Arkavati river, Chunchi waterfall, and Sangam, the confluence of the Arkavati and Cauvery, come under the Kanakapura constituency.
