Kalaburgi (Karnataka): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka is facing a tough challenge from former BJP leader and mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy's Kalyana Rajya Pragati Paksha (KRPP) ahead of the crucial assembly election next month.
Reddy's party is expected to give a tough fight to the BJP in the Kalyana Karnataka region, which has its own history in politics. Kalyana Karnataka province has a significant political history as two Chief Ministers of the National Congress Party, Virendra Patil and Dharamsingh, were from this region. Mallikarjuna Kharge, who has been elected as the National President of the Congress party, is also from this region, making the Karnataka Assembly election prestigious for him.
Former minister G Janardhana Reddy is a cause of concern not only for the BJP but also for all the three parties in the fray. Reddy’s regional approach against the national parties is likely to attract the youth and the women of the family. If Reddy’s new party is all set to change the political equations of the region, then Kharge’s becoming the President of AICC is also a challenge for both Congress and Kharge.
As the AICC president, Kharge is under the necessity to prove his strength in his home ground. Though he was instrumental in implementing Article 371J (Special Status representation) for the Kalyana Karnataka region, which covers Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgiri, Raichur, Koppala, Bellary, and the newly created Vijayanagar districts, the province has suffered a lot of setbacks. The Congress party is accusing the BJP of being responsible for this.
Kharge who knows the region better than many others in the fray will surely make it a prestige issue and will put in all his effort to wrest out the best from this region. BJP on the other hand will leave no stone unturned. The saffron brigade who were responsible for defeating Kharge in the last Lok Sabha election will have a definite plan to beat the masters on their home turf.
Despite these efforts, there are several issues that could sway voters away from the BJP. 40 thousand vacant posts under 371J have not been filled, and irrigation and drinking water projects are incomplete. There is also a lack of facilities in the region, and recruitment exam scams are becoming the main issue against the BJP, with allegations of 40% commission being involved. Backward class and Lingayats votes are decisive in these constituencies.
According to available statistics, in the assembly elections in 2018, of a total of 41 constituencies spread across seven districts 19 seats were won by Congress, 18 by BJP, and 4 seats went to the JDS candidates. Naturally in the upcoming election both the national and regional parties will try to maintain their stronghold in their respective constituencies. The BJP's tactics to deny tickets to important leaders and give opportunities to newcomers didn’t work well because most of the aspirants have left the saffron brigade and joined JDS making the battle difficult for Modi-Shah.
JDS leader Kumaraswamy has fielded candidates for almost all the constituencies in Kalyan Karnataka and is appealing to voters through the Pancharatna Yatra, urging them to give JDS a chance to lead. The party that was contended with only four seats in the previous elections, is expected to gain more seats in the current elections due to the defection of strong candidates from the BJP.
Also read: Congress' modus operandi in Karnataka: A 'positive' campaign led by Kharge, Rahul, and Priyanka
