Bengaluru, April 15 (). Karnataka Congress President D.K. Against Shivakumar, senior leader and former Deputy Chief Minister R. BJP’s decision to field Ashok is being considered as a good strategy. However, according to ground reports, this fight will only serve to reduce the margin of victory for Shivakumar, who is eyeing the chief minister’s chair this time.
The Kanakapura constituency in Bengaluru Rural district is considered the stronghold of the seven-time MLA Shivakumar. It is seen as a pillar of strength for the state Congress. Shivakumar, previously representing the Sathanur constituency, won from there four times since 1989. During this, in the 1999 assembly elections, he supported former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy was also defeated.
After the delimitation of seats, the Sathanur constituency was abolished and Shivakumar represented the Kanakapura constituency in 2008. Since then his vote share on this seat has been increasing continuously. He secured 68,096 votes in 2008. He got 1,00,007 votes in the 2013 election. In 2018, he got 1,27,552 votes while his nearest rival Narayana Gowda of JD(S) got 47,643 votes.
Disproportionate assets case and corruption charges, his imprisonment in Tihar Jail has only strengthened Shivakumar’s vote base. He is one of the few leaders who has worked in South Karnataka, including former Prime Minister H.D. Successfully challenged the hegemony of Deve Gowda’s family.
The BJP did not exist in this constituency until the controversy over the construction of the tallest statue of Jesus Christ. Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and Hindu activists came in large numbers in Kanakapura constituency to protest against the construction of the statue and staged agitations and dharnas.
According to BJP sources, the party will make the attempt to make a statue of Jesus Christ an issue during the election campaign. There is also a plan for massive election campaign by veteran leaders of the party, so that the contest here can be close.
R. Ashok is the Revenue Minister in the cabinet of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. He was also made the first Deputy Chief Minister by the party. He was the Vokkaliga face of the BJP before other Vokkaliga leaders joined the party through Operation Lotus.
Ashok has won the election six times from the Padmanabhanagar (earlier Uttarahalli) constituency. This time he is contesting from both Padmanabhanagar and Kanakapura seats.
Shivakumar has said that he is former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and H.D. Kumaraswamy has been defeated, he said, I am against me by BJP. I am not worried about fielding Ashok.
Regarding the party’s decision to field him against Shivakumar from Kanakapura constituency, Ashok said that he is a loyal soldier of the party. What is the work of soldiers, taking orders from our commander Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
I was asked to stage a protest during the Emergency and go to jail. I did it immediately and went to jail when I was 16 or 17. Later, I was asked to go to Jammu and Kashmir, I went there to protest. Now, I have been asked to contest from Kanakapura constituency and I will use all my might to win the election.
Shivakumar and Ashok both belong to the Vokkaliga community. Kanakapura constituency is in Ramnagar district and has 2,20, 409 voters. Vokkaligas have around 1.10 lakh voters, SC-ST groups have 55,000 votes, Muslims have 20,000 voters, Lingayats have 12,000 votes.
Shivakumar is one of the richest politicians in the country and had declared assets worth Rs 840 crore in the 2018 assembly elections. Locals say that this contest will definitely help the BJP to build its base in the constituency.
AKJ/CBT
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