KARWAR : The decision of the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) to fight the elections together might just have made BJP candidate Anant Kumar Hegde’s job easier. The five-term Member of Parliament does not have to face a Congress candidate and instead has been pitted against former Minister Anand Asnotikar fielded by the JD(S), not a popular force in these parts.
Unlike other constituencies, caste equations do not play a major role in Uttara Kannada as there is a diverse mix of several communities including tribal groups like the Siddi, Halakki and Kunabi. The seat, a stronghold of the Congress till 1996, shifted its preference to the BJP after the political murder of Bhatkal MLA U Chittaranjan. Hegde was at the forefront of this change and emerged as a leader with a Hindutva background.
When he fought his first elections in 1996, Hegde was just 28 years old and has since lost only one election, in 1999. Backing him in his quest to get re-elected is an army of BJP workers at the ground level who have started door to door campaigning.
Meanwhile, Asnotikar finds himself without any grassroots level support. Congress leaders like former MLA Satish Sail, unhappy with the decision to hand the seat over to the JD(S) have decided to campaign separately against the BJP, choosing not to join hands with the JD(S). According to sources, Revenue Minister and senior Congress leader RV Deshpande was not happy with the decision and has largely stuck to Dharwad, agreeing to campaign for Asnotikar for ony two days.
In the absence of star campaigners or workers, Asnotikar had become a one-man army, campaigning by himself, covering as many villages and towns as he can. However, with just a week left for the elctions, some Congress workers have grudgingly extended their tacit support, fearing backlash from the high command.
Perhaps Asnotikar’s best bet at drawing large crowds is Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, who was at his side when he filed his nominations. Kumaraswamy is likely to campaign some more for his candidate. The main theme of the campaign seems to be to highlight the failures of Hegde as a five-time MP as well as issues like demonetisation and GST. Kumaraswamy’s farm loan waiver and future plans for dealing with forest encroachment form the rest of the campaign.
Meanwhile, BJP workers have started door-to-door campaigning backed by Hindu outfits. Schemes started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi government and the PM’s commitment to national security and his leadership are main key points of BJP campaigning. Hegde is asking votes in the name of Modi, not talking about his achievements. “People, especially backward communities, are not happy with Hegde and they are supporting me. Therefore I am confident of winning the polls,” Asnotikar said. He has assured a scheduled tribes (ST) tag to Halakki and other tribal communities.
The BJP’s tactic seems to be one of ignoring Asnotikar all together. Hegde has so far not uttered a single word against Asnotikar and instead speaks only of Modi, issues of national security, development of the country and lashes out against the Congress and Rahul Gandhi, Kumaraswamy and other leaders.
Voters themselves seem to be more interested in the personality of the candidate as well as national politics and development. Topics like the Balakot air strikes, GST and Ayushman Bharat are discussed hotly among residents. Of the eight assembly segments in the constituency, five are held by BJP and three by Congress. Asnotikar lost the 2018 assembly elections from Karwar to Roopali Naik of BJP by a margin of 14, 064 votes.