Lok Sabha elections 2019: Union, state ministers set up high-profile clash in Bengaluru North

BENGALURU: One of the country’s largest parliamentary constituencies in terms of the number of electors, Bengaluru North was a Congress bastion before BJP’s HT Sangliana wrested it from CK Jaffer Sharief in 2004, ending the veteran Congressman’s almost uninterrupted run since 1977. Before 2004, this segment favoured another party only once: in 1996, when the Janata Dal rose to prominence as HD Deve Gowda became the prime minister.After 15 years the Congress is hopeful of bagging the seat again. The optimism stems from factors, including the willingness of minister Krishna Byregowda to be the consensus candidate of the Congress and JD(S) after initial reluctance. He will square off against Union minister DV Sadananda Gowda, who is seeking to be re-elected. A Vokkaliga leader, Krishna Byregowda is popular among young and educated voters because of his sophisticated approach. He gave a tough fight to late Union minister HN Ananth Kumar in the latter’s stronghold of Bengaluru South in 2009. More than anything, his supporters believe that Vokkaliga votes will consolidate in his favour, with Deve Gowda personally backing them.The Vokkaliga community accounts for 30% of the vote share in this constituency. JD(S) was allotted Bengaluru North under its seat-sharing pact with the Congress, and Deve Gowda was supposed to contest from here. But as he chose Tumakuru, the seat went back to the Congress. “Deve Gowda suggested my name, and my party leaders, Siddaramaiah and G Parameshwara, also had the same view,” the state minister said. “The big boost will be the joint campaign by Deve Gowda and Siddaramaiah for me.”As the constituency has sizeable Kuruba votes — assembly segments KR Puram and Hebbal are represented by Kuruba MLAs — Siddaramaiah’s influence is also expected to work in Gowda’s favour. What will give him confidence is the fact that seven out of the eight assembly seats here are inthe control of Congress and JD(S) legislators. Gowda has said that workers from both parties are gelling better in Bengaluru North than in any other constituency. But a lot also depends on how Muslims (20%) and Dalits (15%) vote this time.The BJP is not playing on the defensive. DV Sadananda Gowda is confident that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity among voters would shore him up. In 2014, he rode the Modi wave to get a staggering 7.2 lakh votes. “This is a national election where we are talking mainly about national issues. It is Modi’s achievements we are talking about,” he said. “Irrespective of local issues and the voting pattern for assembly polls, people will vote for Modi.”Comprising largely urban pockets, Bengaluru North faces infrastructure and traffic woes. While people from other parts of the city opposed the proposed steel flyover, voters here supported it, saying they suffer the most because of traffic congestion in areas like Hebbal. Though candidates have cautiously chosen not to talk much about the elevated corridor, which has been tendered now, voters are tracking the parties’ views on the project.