Karnataka Polls: Can BJP defeat Shivashankarappa in Davanagere South?

Congress leader, Karnataka's oldest and 5-time MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa is confident to win the Davanagere South segment once again in the May 10 Karnataka Assembly elections while BJP pitted its youth leader BG Ajay Kumar against him. Shivashankarappa has won thrice but did not bring a single college or hospital, yet he will win as he has a strong hold on the people, said a voter.

Davanagere (Karnataka) : Davanagere South Assembly Constituency is one of the high-voltage segments of the May 10 Karnataka elections. Here there is a direct fight between the State's oldest MLA and senior Congress politician Shamanur Shivashankarappa, 92 years, and BJP's former Davangere mayor B G Ajay Kumar. An influential leader of the Lingayat community, Shamanur is strong but rivals blame him for the lack of development in the segment.

Minority votes in the constituency are decisive here. There are ten Muslim colonies including Azad Nagar, Basha Nagar, Mahbub Nagar, and Mustafa Nagar, where concerns are there over the lack of development. Mahbub Khan, a voter, expressed disappointment that Shamanur Shivashankarappa has won thrice after the division of Davangere South Constituency in 2008 but he could not bring a single college, hospital and proper road here. This time too there is a chance that Shivshankarappa will win here, said Mehboob Khan.

"We guarantee that Shivashankarappa will win this time too. He has developed everything including electricity, and school. But there is no hospital, college and proper road", said Khan. Shivashankarappa was elected three times consecutively in 2008, 2013 and 2018 and now he is contesting again in 2023. BJP youth leader BG Ajay Kumar has entered the fray against Shivashankarappa.

Recently actor Sudeep also canvassed for BJP candidate. BG Ajay Kumar is promising the people here that he will develop this constituency if they elect him. On his part, Shivashankarappa said that the blessings of the people of the constituency are with him. Even though he is 92 years old, he is standing for election. He will win again. With the support of the people, he has been continuously winning in the southern constituency and expressed confidence that he will win this time and create history.

Davangere South Constituency is the only constituency in the district with 83 thousand Muslim votes. Voters are saying that the development in this segment is slow. People here have hope that Shivashankarappa will develop the constituency. On its part, BJP is determined to make lotus blossom in this constituency. BJP's BG Ajay Kumar is banking on the Modi image, the state government's policies and actor Sudeep's campaign to emerge victorious in the segment.