Experienced Cong-JDS takes on BJP

Stakes are high for both the ruling Janata Dal Secular (JDS)-Congress coalition and Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka as results are expected to be a pointer for the future political scape of the State.

With JDS-Congress going in for pre-poll alliance, now it is a direct fight as the experienced Cong-JDS combine takes on the saffron party.

On Monday, the penultimate day for filing nomination, 14 Lok Sabha constituencies in the State - mainly two coastal districts and majority of the old Mysuru districts goes to polls on April 18.

Tumakur

All 14 constituencies witnessed heightened activity. JDS supremo H D Deve Gowda after giving up Hassan constituency to grandson and after dilly-dallying in choosing a seat, finally chose Tumakur, a constituency diverse with Vokkaligas (land holding community), Kurubas (shepherd), Dalits, Muslims and Lingayats in sizeable numbers. This constituency has been alternating between the BJP and the Congress.

Deve Gowda is banking on the Congress and his own party’s base to take on BJP’s G S Basavaraj. Though Tumakur is allotted to the JDS under as per electrol alliance with the Congress, sitting Congress MP S P Muddahanume Gowda has filed his papers making it tough for Deve Gowda.

Hassan

What set the tongue-wagging was the show of strength by the BJP in Hassan constituency, which is a Vokkaliga dominated seat and a stronghold of JDS. Here JDS has fielded Prajwal Revanna (son of Karnataka PWD minister H D Revanna), he is pitted against BJP, A Manju (a former Congress minister), who jumped the boat to join the saffron party.

In Mandya, another vokkaliga dominated seat, JDS’ has fielded Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy’s son – Nikhil. The BJP has not fielded any candidate but is strategically supporting Sumalatha, wife of late Kannada actor Ambarish who is an independent candidate.

In this phase, three constituencies in Bengaluru - North, South and Central and rural seat is seeing familiar faces from both the Congress and the BJP.

For Bengaluru south, Congress has fielded its senior AICC member B K Hariprasad, while the BJP is divided as to whom to field between late Union Minister H N Ananth Kumar’s wife Tejaswini or any senior party worker. In Chikkaballapur constituency, it is a battle between old Congress war horse - former Union Minister M Veerappa Moily and BJP leader Bache Gowda. While in Kolar, it is Congress’ former Union Minister KH Muniyappa and he is set to take on BJP’s S Muniswamy, a councillor from Kadugodi ward in BBMP.

The Mysuru-Kodagu is a varied constituency with Vokkaligas, Kurabas (shepherd), Lingayats, Kodavas and others. Here, both Congress and BJP are going head to head to win. BJP has retained its sitting MP Pratap Simha, while the Congress is banking on Vijayshankar – former two time MP.

The BJP has fielded former Congress Minister and veteran Dalit leader V Srinivas Prasad from Chamarajanagar. He is to take on sitting Congress MP, R Dhruvanarayana.

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