By: Suresh B Desai
Kalaburagi, Apr 9 : Kalaburagi Lok Sabha constituency is the one
of the High voltage constituency in the state which is grabbing
state-wide attention after Chincholi Congress rebel MLA Umesh Jadhav
resigned from his assembly seat and joined the BJP with the intention
of contesting the Kalaburargi Lok Sabha poll against Congress heavy
weight Mallikarjun Kharge who had never lost an election so far and
won nine Assembly and two Lok sabha election till now.
Bitter battle is in the card between the Congress and BJP in
Kalaburagi Lok sabha reserved constituency comprises eight Assembly
constituency of which Congress holds four , the BJP three and the
JD(S) one.
The Congress leader in Lok sabaha Mallikajun Kharge will test his
luck for the third time from this SC reserved constituency .However
the BJP which is leaving no stone unturned to wrest the segment from
the Congress has lured Chincholi Congress MLA Umesh Jadhav into the
part fold and he is tipped to be pitted against Kharge .
The BJP which has determined to wrest the seat from the Congress
had roped in the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who had participated
in a largely attended public meeting ‘Vijaya Sankalpa Yathra’ recently.
Whether Kharge will score a hat-trick or not is a different question.
It is apparent that all his opponents have joined together to make
Kharge bite dust the dust in this poll .
Former ministers Mallikayya Guttedar and Baburao Chinchansur who
were once close confidants of Kharge are now withe BJP and are waiting to
settle political scores on the veteran congress leader, which they blame him
for missing the cabinet barths in the previous Siddaramaiah’s cabinet by
accommodating his son Piyank Kharge .
Malaka Reddy, another former minister, who is nursing grudge against Kharge had
also resigned to the Congress and joined the Saffron party, recently.
Umesh Gopaldev Jadhav , the doctor who had shunned medical practice to
enter politics, had renewed the BJP hope to wrest the Kalaburagi Lok
Sabha seat from veteran congress Leader Mr Kharge.
Well -aware of all this developments Mallikarjun Kharge along with
his son Priyank Kharge had already begun the election campaign by
inaugurating several developmental works and laying the foundation
stone for several works for the past one month. Kharge’s seriousness
showed that he will not take any election lightly.This summer
Congress heavy weight Mr Mallikarjun Kharge has been literally
sweating it out , touring every nook and corner of the constituency.
From his crucial role in according special status to Hyderabad
Karnataka under Article 371(J) to the expansion of the road network in
the area, the establishment of an ESIC Medical Hub and a Central
University of Karnataka, the sanctioning of Kalaburagi Railway
Division and setting up of a rail coach factory at Kadechur during his
brief stint as Railway Minister, Mr. Kharge’s campaign focuses on his
achievements and the Congress’ promises to improve development in the
region.
On the other hand, the BJP and Dr. Jadhav, who’s Assembly segment
comes under the Bidar Lok Sabha seat, are relying heavily on Prime
Minister Narendra Modi’s charisma.
Umesh Jadhav , who hails from the Banjara community which come
under Scheduled cast community. The BJP is looking to consolidate
caste based voters in it favour . Mainly , the saffron party will bank
on Lingayaats ( 6 lakh ) they have traditionally voted for BJP and
those for Banjaras , Billavas ( Chinchansur’s community ) and Idigas (
Guddedar’s community ) all together including Banjars they are 3.8
lakh in the constituency .
The Congress is looking to consolidate the remaining SC, Backward
class and minority votes in favour of Kharge.
Except 1996 and 1998 Gulbarga lok sabha constituency has been a
fortress of Congress since 1951., Former chief minister Veerendra
Patil , and Dharm singh represented this in 1980 and 1984 . In
1996 , Qumar Ul Islam who was then in Janata dal wrested it for the
first time from the Congress. In subsequent polls , Basavaraj Patil
Sedam , of BJP won in 1998 . now the BJP is trying to snatch this
segments from Congress.
