People of Bagalkot district have been flooded with promises by political parties, but when the need arises, the leaders are nowhere to be seen.
Just a couple of days ago, when untimely rains devastated jowar and other horticulture crops none of the leaders showed up here.
Bagalkot constituency consists of eight Assembly segments, including Nargund in Gadag district. Voters had chosen former chief minister Veerendra Patil in the 1980 elections, but defeated another former chief minister Ramakrishna Hegde in the 1991 polls. Siddu Nyamagouda, the ‘barrage hero’ who defeated Hegde, was made a Union minister.
The Congress had dominated Bagalkot till 1991 and after that non-Congress candidates (except in 1999) won the seat three times. BJP’s P C Gaddigoudar, who won the last two elections from here, could do a hat-trick now.
In the 2008 Assembly elections, BJP had swept all Assembly seats in the district, but got only one seat in the 2013 polls. Now BJP is chanting the ‘unity mantra’ while Congress wants to continue its victory trend.
Though it is a multi-cornered contest, the real fight is between Congress’ Ajayakumar Sarnaik, a Reddy, and sitting BJP MP Gaddigoudar, a Ganiga.
Gaddigoudar urged people to make Modi the PM. The failures of UPA and the projects implemented by him will help him win, he said.
With six MLAs in the district, the Congress is making all efforts to thwart Gaddigoudar. “Caste calculations cannot be the deciding factor,” said Ajayakumar Sarnaik. Lingayats, Ganigas, Kurubas, Muslims and SC/ STs dominate the Bagalkot constituency.
Political pundits feel that BSP candidate Kamble, JD(S)’s Ravi Hunashyal, who belongs to the Reddy community, and AAP’s Kazi, may split the Congress votes while Independent candidate Shankar Bidari may split both BJP and Congress votes in some constituencies.