BENGALURU: One district is a large plateau that stretches from Mysuru to the edge of the Eastern Ghats, and the other is a veritable treasure-house of historical architecture and sculpture. But both Mandya and Hassan are unambiguously the electoral power houses of JD(S).
The districts have 14 seats up for grabs and three-quarters of the 42 legislators elected since 2008 were from the JD(S). The regional outfit has sat pretty, conceding an odd seat or two to Congress. In 2018, JD(S) won a staggering 13 of the 14 seats. Congress drew a blank, and BJP found an opening through Preetham Gowda, who won Hassan seat by a margin of more than 12,000 votes.
This time, for the first time, a
three-cornered fight is looking increasingly likely in the two Vokkaliga-dominated districts. JD(S) is hoping — against hope — for a repeat, Congress is determined to halt its march and BJP plans to go beyond Preetham. “We will repeat our performance, including in KR Pete [KC Narayana Gowda defected to BJP], which we will win by 3,000 votes,” HD Kumaraswamy, JD(S) legislature party leader, told TOI.
Karnataka Elections 2023 | Photos | Videos | Key Parties | Data Hub “I’m personally camping in some Hassan seats and the party will not face a problem. Overall, BJP is unlikely to get even 10,000- 15,000 votes in any of the 14 seats barring maybe in Hassan. Congress will put up a fight, but we’ll emerge victorious.” Preetham’s strong foothold is a key reason for the JD(S) predicament over a nominee in Hassan segment.
Bhavani Revanna’s aspiration to contest is being met with strong resistance from brother-in-law Kumaraswamy. With both unrelenting, rumour even has it that Bhavani might contest as a rebel. But JD(S) workers, as in the past, have put their faith in patriarch HD Deve Gowda to assuage the situation.
“Not only will I retain Hassan, but I’m also confident the party will bag Sakleshpur,” Preetham said. Kumaraswamy, however, said: “Holenarasipura, Shravanabelagola, Belur, Sakleshpur and even Arkalgud, where we’ve let go of a losing candidate [AT Ramaswamy] and have A Manju coming in [from BJP], are safe. In Arsikere and Hassan, I’m putting personal efforts to win.”
While incumbent KM Shivalingegowda, a Vokkaliga, defected to Congress at the behest of Siddaramaiah given the Kuruba presence in Arsikere, JD(S) is confident of retaining the seat as it named Ashok, a Kuruba, as the candidate.
For BJP, NR Santosh, who once enjoyed a prominent position in his relative BS Yediyurappa’s camp, is being pegged as a candidate against the wishes of the former CM. In Mandya, Congress is banking on farmers’ ire over government inaction — both when Kumaraswamy was CM and during the Yediyurappa and Bommai regimes — in reopening sugar mills, ensuring good price for sugarcane or clearing dues owned by mills.
CD Gangadhar, Congress Mandya district president, said: “Claiming to be a farmers’ party, JD(S) supported the Centre’s farm laws, while the state BJP has not withdrawn these laws even after the Union government did so. Neither party has the moral right to seek votes from farmers in Mandya, or even Hassan.”
While efforts of independent Mandya MP Sumalatha Ambareesh revived one of the mills (Mysugar), farmers have been protesting in the region. Congress also views BJP’s last-ditch effort to rope in Sumalatha to support and campaign for the party as a desperate effort that will not bear fruit.
Whether Congress’ efforts materialise, BJP, which portrayed Urigowda and Nanjegowda as slayers of Tipu Sultan, whose capital Srirangapatna falls in Mandya, causes an upset, or JD(S) continues to rule the roost, the two districts will not be bereft of high-pitched political drama.