Karnataka Assembly elections have entered the final lap. The southern state has six regions and the elections in each region are also unique. As part of our special series, News18 reporters travelled to each of the six regions to gauge the pulse of the electorate and give a 360-degree view of which way the political wind is blowing.
Winston Churchill, one of the most famous world leaders, was a resident of Bangalore (now Bengaluru) in Karnataka between 1896 and 1899. He is perhaps the most powerful political leader who had some connection to this city besides H D Deve Gowda, the former Prime Minister.
During Churchill’s time, Bengaluru was a sleepy hill station, 3,000 feet above sea level known for its salubrious weather and innumerable lakes. In a letter to his mother in England, the future Prime Minister of Great Britain wrote, “Poked away in a garrison town…out of season and without the sea, with lots of routine work and … without society or good sport — half my friends on leave and the other half ill — my life here would be intolerable were it not for the consolations of literature"…..
Over the past 125 years, since his departure, Bengaluru has undergone a great transformation, emerging as one of the great cities in the world. The tech city, which is also a manufacturing hub, has 28 Assembly constituencies, but has not been able to leverage its big numbers in Karnataka politics.
However, unlike the rest of Karnataka, where the candidates are at each other’s throats and are hurling abuses in all directions, everything is quiet in state capital Bengaluru. No fireworks, no political skullduggery, no heated exchanges. Electioneering is a dull affair, almost like Bengaluru of Churchill’s days!
Before the delimitation, the city had 11 Assembly seats. It went up to 28 in 2008, opening political opportunities for many new leaders from all political parties. Contrary to popular belief, the Congress is a formidable force in the city, mostly winning more seats than the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Assembly elections. But the city has turned mostly anti-Congress in Parliament elections since 1977.
In the 2018 Assembly elections, the Congress won 15 seats, BJP 11 and JDS 2. Not winning Bengaluru resulted in the BJP not reaching the halfway mark of 113, hence a hung Assembly.
This time, both the Congress and BJP are making all possible efforts to woo Bengaluru, which can lead them to the Vidhana Soudha. The Janata Dal S (JDS) is also trying to expand its base by playing the Vokkaliga caste card, given the community’s sizable population across the megapolis.
IN THE FRAY
The most senior MLA from the city and Congress leader R Ramalinga Reddy is hopeful of a straight eighth term. Before delimitation, he won four straight elections from Jayanagar and shifted to neighbouring BTM Layout in 2008. A soft-spoken man of the masses and a shrewd political operator, Reddy feels one more win is a done deal. The BJP has fielded a new face against him once again. The internal squabbling in the BJP over party ticket might help Reddy sail through.
He is spending more time in Jayanagar to ensure his daughter and Congress MLA Sowmya’s win. She is on a weak wicket and the BJP has fielded former corporator CK Ramamurthy against her in this prestigious seat. Alarmed by the feedback, Reddy is focussing more on her campaign, hoping his cadre will handle his in BTM Layout.
In neighbouring Basavanagudi, known for its traditional eateries and Kannada atmosphere, BJP’s Ravi Subramanya is seeking a fourth term. The Congress has fielded MLC and a Brahmin UB Venkatesh against him. Ravi Subramanya is the uncle of Bengaluru South BJP MP Tejasvi Surya. Although Venkatesh claims a split in Brahmin votes will help him, the BJP looks safer here.
In Chamarajapet, the BJP has fielded an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) turncoat and former IPS officer Bhaskar Rao against Congress MLA Zameer Ahmed Khan. In this Muslim-dominated seat, Khan is certain of his win. Giving ticket to Rao has not gone down well with the BJP cadre. But he maintains victory will be his.
In Christian- and Muslim-dominated Shantinagara, sitting Congress MLA NA Harris is seeking a fourth straight term. The demography of the constituency has made it easier for him to win rather than his personal appeal. The AAP has fielded retired state service bureaucrat Mathai from here on an anti-graft platform.
In Shivajinagara, Congress MLA and young Muslim face Rizwan Arshad is fighting a new face of the BJP, Chandra. Rizwan feels that he can win again based on his performance as an MLA. In Sarvagnanagara, Congress stalwart KJ George is fighting his last Assembly election. George, a veteran of city politics, has his own vote bank and is depending on his loyal cadre to win one last time.
In CV Raman Nagar, BJP’s sitting MLA Raghu is facing Congress’s Anandkumar. In this SC reserved seat, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has held a roadshow urging the voters to elect her party candidate. The AAP has fielded Mohan Dasari here.
In another SC seat Pulikeshinagar, with over one lakh Muslim voters, the Congress is facing a big rebellion. Upset over denial of ticket, sitting MLA Akhanda Srinivasamurthy is contesting on a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) ticket. The Congress has fielded M C Srinivas from here. The party feels Muslims will vote for them, irrespective of the candidate. Four years ago, this area had witnessed a huge communal riot in which an MLA’s house was set on fire.
In Mahadevapura, which spans over eastern IT corridor, the BJP has denied a ticket to former minister and MLA Aravind Limbavali. Instead, it has fielded his wife. The Congress has fielded former minister Nagesh from here. During last year’s heavy rain, this area was under water for days and the BJP is facing some anti-incumbency. This seat has mainly non-Kannadiga population.
Congress veteran Dinesh Gundurao looks comfortable in Gandhinagar, which he has won for five straight terms since 1999. The BJP has once again fielded Saptagiri Gowda, who lost to him in 2018. The Congress is worried about the JDS candidate who is quietly campaigning here.
In Chikpet, RV Devaraj of the Congress is facing a revolt and BJP MLA Uday Garudachar, who is not on a strong wicket, is hoping to exploit the situation in his favour. The AAP has fielded former Congress leader and advocate Brijesh Kalappa.
In Malleshwaram, minister Dr CN Ashwathnarayan is eyeing a fourth straight term. The Congress has fielded Brahmin youth Anoop Iyengar against him, hoping to split the Brahmin votes.
In Rajajinagara, BJP veteran S Sureshkumar is fighting a tough battle this time. The Congress has fielded former MLC Puttanna, who has defected to their side recently. The Congress is eyeing Vokkaliga votes in this seat.
In Vijayanagara, Congress MLA M Krishnappa is hopeful of an easy win against the BJP. In neighbouring Govindarajanagar, his son and former MLA Priya Krishna is facing a new BJP face, Umesh Shetty. Sitting MLA V Somanna has been moved to Varuna to take on mighty Siddaramaiah.
Three Congress turncoats — ST Somashekhar from Yeshwanthpur, Muniratna from RR Nagar and Byrathi Basavaraj from KR Pura — are now seeking re-election on BJP tickets. V Gopalaiah of the JDS is also seeking re-election on a BJP ticket. All four had defected to the BJP in 2019 to topple the JDS-Congress coalition government. The Congress lacks strong candidates to defeat these turncoats.
Another senior Congress leader Krishna Byregowda is seeking re-election from Byatarayanapura in north Bengaluru, and he is confident of a repeat win. In Yelahanka, BJP’s SR Vishwanath is on a strong wicket. Both the Congress and JDS have fielded Vokkaliga candidates against him.
Sitting BJP MLAs Satish Reddy and Krishnappa from Bommanahalli and Bengaluru South, respectively, are not facing any major threat to their seats. In Hebbal, Congress MLA Byrathi Suresh is confident of a win this time. In Dasarahalli, the lone JDS MLA from the city, Manjunath, is trying hard to win again.
Knowing well that winning big in Bengaluru is essential to reach the halfway mark of 113 seats, both the BJP and Congress have launched a big campaign. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is doing a 30-kilometre-long roadshow covering 11 of the 28 constituencies on May 6 to boost the BJP’s prospects in the city.
THE TREND
Bengaluru rarely changes its Members of Legislative Assembly (MLA), irrespective of their party and performance. Most of them have been winning the elections for 10-30 years, rarely giving a chance to any newcomer. There is also a serious allegation of a nexus between established Congress and BJP MLAs from the city, who secretly help each other’s win.
The city, which is struggling to handle the wave of migration from other parts of India seeking better life and education, usually goes silent on voting day in any election. Usually, about 50% people vote and the election is not fought on any real issues. Infrastructure and other key issues take a backseat, even as party, caste, money and religion narratives occupy the front row.
The Bengaluru MLAs know this and depend on their vote bank to get re-elected.
The megapolis, which contributes lakhs of crores to both the state and Centre’s exchequer, goes back to discuss real issues only after the elections, when the MLAs have no time to listen.
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