JAMKHANDI: Taking a short break from his campaign in Jamkhandi, BJP candidate Srikant Kulkarni, also one-time former MLA of Jamkhandi, told TNIE that he is confident to win by at least 20,000 votes. Excerpts:
What are the major issues for you?
The Congress governments in the state have kept several developmental projects initiated by the BJP government on the back-burner. Multi-village drinking water projects and lift irrigation projects taken up by BJP have been held back by the Congress and the coalition government. The Chikkalki project was initiated by then BJP CM D V Sadananda Gowda, and was to be taken up at an estimated cost of `42 crore. Former CM Jagadish Shettar got this project going but the Congress government later kept it on hold. Even the Tubchi irrigation project started by the BJP government is incomplete. So irrigation and drinking water projects will be the
main issues.
The 2018 assembly poll was a close fight. How do you see the upcoming contest?
People feel that the state government is coming up with anti-people policies and is indulging in corruption at all levels. None of the works are being done by the government since it came to power. People will support the BJP 100%.
What led to your defeat in the last two assembly elections?
A large chunk of BJP votes got divided in the last election as Sangamesh Nirani contested as an independent. Several BJP votes also swung in favour of another independent candidate, Dalwai. People underestimated me following the confusion created by some leaders in the last election that also cost us some votes.
With majority voters hailing from the Lingayat community, will caste factor play any role?
Caste or religion has never played a role here for several decades. Such issues have been created by a section of leaders in the recent years. Jamkhandi has a rich culture and people exercise their franchise going beyond the caste and cash factors.
Will sympathy factor work in favour of Cong candidate Anand Nyamgouda?
It will not work at all. The sympathy factor works when a dead legislator’s wife is in the fray. After the death of farmers’ leader K S Puttannaiah, his son contested, but it didn’t work for him.
How many votes do you expect this time?
The Congress did not bag more than 50,000 votes in the last few elections. I will win by at least 20,000 votes.