BELAGAVI : The Chikkodi Parliamentary constituency is bracing for a tough clash between Congress and BJP when it goes to the polls on May 7.
BJP candidate and sitting MP Annasaheb Jolle is pitted against young Congress leader Priyanka Jarkiholi.
A popular politician, Jolle has a stranglehold on most of the eight Assembly segments in the constituency as he is active in the thriving cooperative and education sectors here. His wife and former minister Shashikala Jolle is MLA from the Nipani Assembly constituency and she too is popular in Chikkodi. Annasaheb Jolle spoke to TNIE amid his ongoing election campaign.
Excerpts:
How do you see your contest against an equally popular Congress rival?
I don’t think the contest between Congress and BJP will be a close one as I am going to win by a big margin. Let anybody be my rival, I am sure of winning without any resistance as BJP and the Jolle family have an upper hand in this election in Chikkodi.
Why do you think people should vote for BJP and not Congress?
You can’t compare the works taken up by the governments in the last 70 years with what has been done in the last 10 years of Narendra Modi governments. Modi has done a tremendous job by developing the country at a fast pace. He has taken up several major works that nobody would have dreamt of. Given the performance of the BJP government at the Centre and the dynamic leadership of Modi, people are certainly going to support the party again.
What will be the major issues for you?
As such there are no major issues in this election. I am facing the election with the massive support of all BJP workers, leaders and people of Chikkodi. The Modi wave is going to help me on top of it. The work which I have taken up in the education and agriculture sectors in Chikkodi as an MP during the last five years will bolster my effort.
Don’t you think BJP is depending totally on the Modi wave in most of the constituencies in the state?
Of course, there is a Modi wave in the country. Tell me whether Congress has any such wave at all. Congress leaders have done nothing in Chikkodi so far. Would they recognise the works I have taken up in the last few years here? With elections around the corner, Congress leaders have nothing to take credit for and they will continue to oppose BJP.
Several top BJP leaders opposed your nomination as candidate and stayed away from campaigning. Will it not affect your prospects?
Earlier, some party leaders were upset for not getting the ticket, but all of them are supporting me now. All leaders from Chikkodi have joined hands and are supporting me. On the other hand, the situation in Chikkodi Congress is worse than what it is in BJP. Many of their leaders are upset with the party over various issues.
Don’t you think Congress camp is upbeat with its victory in the last Assembly elections?
State issues are different from national issues. Assembly elections are fought on the basis of state issues, while national issues assume significance in the Lok Sabha election. State issues may work up to 50 per cent and not more than that.
What are your plans for the development of Chikkodi constituency if you win?
As I come from an agricultural background, I am planning to initiate several important measures for the improvement of the agriculture sector and am also keen on focusing on the development of education and health sectors.