UDUPI: Kaup assembly constituency has the record in place that here the electoral battle is fought with wafer-thin margin. Never in the history has the victory margin crossed 2,000 votes. Though voters in this constituency preferred Congress since Kaup assembly constituency was bifurcated from Udupi assembly constituency in the year 1957, the electoral battle has become very interesting in the recent elections.
In the 2004 election, BJP’s Lalaji Mendon secured 33,611 votes, while his opponent Congress’ Vasanth Salian had got 32,221 votes and the victory margin was 1,390 votes. In 2008 election, Lalaji Mendon from BJP got 45,961 votes while Congress’ Vasanth Salian bagged 44,994. Mendon’s victory margin was just 967 votes. In the 2013 election, Congress’ Vinay Kumar Sorake tasted victory with a victory margin of just 1,855 votes against BJP’s Lalaji Mendon.
Kaup has always been a Congress stronghold. In all, Congress has won seven times, BJP twice, PSP twice. BJP tasted success in 2004 election and 2008. Though it was said that Hindutva factor worked out easily for BJP in 2004 and 2008 elections, internal clashes within the Congress party that prevailed then made it easy for BJP to win the elections.
This time BJP ticket aspirants are Lalaji R Mendon, Yashpal Suvarna and Suresh Shetty Gurme, while Congress candidate is Vinay Kumar Sorake, the present MLA of the constituency.
There are total of 2,26,771 voters, out of which 1,09,685 are men and 1,17,087 are women. Billavas dominate the electorates, followed by Bunts, Muslims, Christians, Mogaveers and others who constitute the rest of the electorates. This time, Kaup constituency has received state-wide attention, after former police officer Anupama Shenoy deciding to contest from her native Kaup assembly constituency from her newly launched Bharatiya Janashakti Congress party.
