DAVANAGERE: After much deliberation and confusion, the Congress and the BJP have fielded new faces from old political families in the Davanagere constituency for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
While the Congress has fielded Dr Prabha Mallikarjun, wife of Minister SS Mallikarjun, the BJP has fielded Gayathri Siddeshwara, wife of incumbent MP Dr GM Siddeshwara. Davanagere will go to the polls on May 7. Campaigning has reached its peak in Davanagere, with both candidates traveling across the constituency in Central Karnataka.
Called the industrial hub and Manchester of Karnataka in the past, Davanagere is seeing rampant migration of people to other cities in search of jobs as most of the industries in the district, including Anjaneya Cotton Mill, have shut shop. Davanagere, however, is still a major centre of education.
Voters want airport, jobs
Voters in the constituency want their MP to get an airport sanctioned for the district, expand the software park, create special economic zones, improve health facilities, and create employment opportunities so that Davanagere regains its lost title of industrial hub.
In the 12 Lok Sabha elections in the past in Davanagere, the BJP and the Congress have emerged victorious six times each. The BJP has been winning the constituency since 1999.
The constituency is home to an equal number of Veerashiva-Lingayats and Kurubas, followed by Valmiki Nayakas, Muslims, Dalits, Upparas, Devangas, and other communities.
Davanagere constituency comprises Davanagere North, Davanagere South, Mayakonda, Channagiri, Jagalur, Harihar, Harapanahalli, and Honnali Assembly segments. Apart from Harihar, the remaining segments were all won by the Congress in the 2023 Assembly elections. This has given a boost to the confidence of Congress candidate Dr Prabha. The BJP candidate, Gayathri, is banking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s charisma to win the polls, apart from the development works implemented by her husband and sitting BJP MP, Siddeshwara.
In 2014, Siddeshwara won by a thin margin of 17,602 votes against Congress candidate and present Minister SS Mallikarjun. Again in 2019, Siddeshwara won by a margin of 1,69,702 votes against Congress’ HB Manjappa.
Rebel trouble
Both the Congress and the BJP are facing rebel trouble in the constituency.
In the Congress camp, educationist and strong supporter of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, GB Vinay Kumar, was a strong contender for the party ticket. However, the intervention of Siddaramaiah, Kaginele Kanaka Gurupeet seer Niranjanandapuri Swamiji, and SS Mallikarjun doused the rebel fire. Vinay Kumar, however, in a video said that he would meet his supporters soon and take a call on his political future.
In the BJP camp, there was strong opposition to the party fielding incumbent MP Siddeshwara or anyone from his family. However, the party fielded his wife, Gayathri. This resulted in a rebellion led by former ministers SA Ravindranath and MP Renukacharya. However, BJP strongman and former CM, BS Yediyurappa, quelled the rebellion.
Amidst these developments, the statement made by senior Congressman and former minister Dr Shamanur Shivashankarappa against the candidacy of Gayathri triggered a controversy.
He had allegedly said that “she (Gayathri) is fit to only cook”. This issue has, however, lost steam on the ground, and development is the only issue being discussed at length by the voters. Now that the rebellion has been quelled in both national parties, all eyes are on the voting day.
Whether the Congress will wrest the seat from the BJP or the saffron party continue its winning streak in Davanagere will be know only on June 4, when the votes are counted.