HUBBALI : It is the battle between a former chief minister from BJP and a political novice from Congress in the Haveri parliamentary constituency.
Though the saffron party has been winning the seat for the last four hustings, the Grand Old Party is trying hard to wrest back the constituency, which was once its pocket borough.
What is common between the candidates of both the national parties is that their candidates are facing the national election for the first time. As the incumbent MP Shivakumar Udasi kept himself away from electoral politics, BJP zeroed in on experienced Basavaraj Bommai, a two-time MLC and four-time MLA. Congress, which wanted to field senior minister HK Patil, later expressed confidence in Anandayya Gaddadevarmath, son of former MLA GS Gaddadevarmath.
On paper, Congress looks strong as seven out of the eight Assembly segments in the parliamentary constituency are in its control. Hirekerur, Ranibennur, Haveri, Byadgi, Hangal, Gadag and Ron assembly segments are held by GOP, while Shirahatti is the only segment controlled by BJP. Such a strength certainly should help Congress, but Bommai has enough influence as his Assembly segment, Shiggaon, falls in Haveri district.
The caste equation in the constituency heavily tilts towards Lingayat community voters, who are around 6.5 lakh, and candidates of both the national parties are from this community, but of different sub-castes. Kuruba (OBC) and Muslim voters are equally distributed across the segment. While the saffron party relies on the Lingayat, OBC and other caste votes, the GOP depends on votes of Lingayats, Kurubas and minorities.
Apart from Modi guarantees, Bommai is counting on a series of development works taken up by him in the past as water resources minister and chief minister. He claims thousands of acres of arable land were irrigated with the implementation of irrigation projects and lift irrigation schemes. The former CM also says he continues to develop Haveri into an industrial hub as it falls on the Mumbai-Chennai Industrial Corridor.
Since Gaddadevarmath has no personal achievement to project, he is heavily dependent on the five guarantees of the state government. Minister Patil claims that over 99 per cent of voters in both Haveri and Gadag districts have benefited from the guarantees.
The major issues in the constituency are linking Bedti Halla with Varada river to address the drinking water problem and increase irrigation areas, building railway infrastructure for connectivity between Gadag and Haveri, building better industrial infrastructure to attract investments and improving basic amenities in rural parts. Udasi is blamed for not initiating any steps to improve infrastructure in the constituency and Congress is using this to counter BJP.
Voters, however, are divided. Some feel Bommai, being a former chief minister and MLA from Haveri, understands the problems well and could find solutions for them, especially related to the Union government. But others believe that as the state is being ruled by Congress, a representative from the same party could help them. However, the real opinion of the voters can be understood only on June 4.