With elections to the 14 Lok Sabha constituencies in south Karnataka over, the focus is on 14 others in north Karnataka which go to the polls on Tuesday. This is where the Congress is largely banking on its own rank and file, with the presence of its ally Janata Dal (Secular) limited to only a few pockets.
The Congress moved all its men and resources to north Karnataka constituencies soon after the polling in the southern districts on Thursday. Congress and JD(S) candidates in the south Karnataka constituencies too have joined the campaign in north Karnataka.
The BJP has 10 MPs in the region against four of the Congress. Unlike southern Karnataka where both the Congress and the JD(S) have a strong presence, the latter has no strong vote base in northern Karnataka, barring in some pockets. Out of 37 JD(S) MLAs, only six were elected from north Karnataka, including Bombay Karnataka and Hyderabad Karnataka.
The Congress, whose campaign seemed to have been flagging a bit following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rallies, got a shot in the arm after party president Rahul Gandhi’s visit on Friday, with party leaders now claiming that it has a slight edge over the BJP.
After Congress leader Siddaramaiah’s election to the Legislative Assembly from Badami constituency in Bagalokot district in 2018, the Congress seemed to be in a confident position in the region. Moreover, in the byelection to Ballari Lok Sabha constituency five months ago, the party snatched the seat from the BJP. But the State Cabinet expansion exercise that followed ruffled some feathers and upset equations.
The Congress has four MPs in the region — Chikkodi, Kalaburagi, Ballari, and Raichur, against six MPs it has in the region that went to the polls on April 18.
The JD(S) has no major community support in the northern belt. Lingayat is the dominant community in the region along with other backward classes (OBCs). Support of these two communities would be the deciding factor in north Karnataka constituencies.
Of the 14 constituencies, the Congress has fielded candidates in 11 and the JD(S) in three — Vijayapura (Sunitha Devanand Chavan), Uttara Kannada (Anand Asnotikar), and Shivamogga (Madhu Bangarappa).
The JD(S) has a noteworthy presence in Shivamogga constituency where sons of two former Chief Ministers are in the fray — B.Y. Raghavendra of the BJP and Madhu Bangarappa of the JD(S). In the byelection held in November 2018, Mr. Raghavendra defeated Mr. Madhu Bangarappa by a margin of 52,148 votes.
The governing parties have appointed Water Resources Minister D.K. Shivakumar as a strategist to marshal all resources to galvanise workers of both the parties here.
