BENGALURU: As the results of the Lok Sabha polls will be out on Tuesday, these are the key constituencies in the state that will be keenly watched as the stakes are high with high-profile candidates in the race.
The political future of the scion of erstwhile Mysore royal family Yaduveer, former CM HD Kumaraswamy in Mandya, DCM DK Shivakumar’s younger brother DK Suresh and his opponent and former PM HD Deve Gowda’s son-in-law Dr CN Manjunath in Bengaluru Rural, Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, the key accused in a sex scandal, in Hassan and AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s son -in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani in Kalaburagi will be decided.
Mandya
At this sugarbowl of Karnataka and a Vokkaliga bastion, JDS state president HD Kumaraswamy is contesting against a novice from Congress, Venkataramane Gowda aka Star Chandru, a realtor and a handpick of DCM and KPCC president DK Shivakumar. Outgoing MP Sumalatha Amabareesh had fought hard to become the NDA candidate, but ultimately had to sacrifice her seat to Kumaraswamy.
Hassan
It is the home turf of JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda, who passed it on to his grandson Prajwal Revanna in 2019. Prajwal’s alleged involvement in a sex scandal rocked the political scene of Karnataka. The sleazy videos went viral a couple of days before the April 26 polls. It will be known whether the issue will impact the future of Prajwal, who is up against former MP late Puttaswamy Gowda’s grandson Shreyas Patel.
Mysuru-Kodagu
The scion of the erstwhile Mysore royal family Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar has debuted in politics as a BJP candidate and he is pitted against a novice in electoral politics M Lakshmana from Congress. As it is the home turf of CM Siddaramaiah, his prestige is at stake. While Lakshmana said he is a commoner, obviously pointing to the royal lineage of Yaduveer, the scion indulged in a spirited campaign to show that he too can get even.
Bengaluru Rural
It was the only seat that Congress won in the state in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. DCM and KPCC president DK Shivakumar’s younger brother and sitting MP DK Suresh has locked horns with former PM HD Deve Gowda’s son-in-law Dr CN Manjunath, a renowned cardiologist, contesting from BJP. Is it a masterstroke by Union Home Minister Amit Shah as touted by BJP members, or not, will be known on Tuesday.
Kalaburagi
The seat from where AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge lost in the 2019 LS polls, his son-in-law and debutant Radhakrishna Doddamani is contesting as a Congress candidate. He is taking on sitting MP Dr Umesh Jadhav from BJP. A caste conundrum, Kalaburagi has been difficult to call. The prestige of senior Kharge and his son and RDPR minister Priyank Kharge is at stake here.