Even though it is for a short period of time, the bypoll to Shivamogga Lok Sabha constituency is poised for a very interesting political development in Karnataka. The sons of three former Chief Ministers are in the fray fighting for the prestige of it, ahead of 2019 general elections. The Shivamogga constituency has fallen vacant after BJP strong man BS Yeddyurappa quit to get elected to the Assembly to play his crucial right wing politics from Shikaripura constituency.
In Shivamogga, which is considered as the stronghold of Lingayat strongman Yeddyurappa, the BJP is fielding his son and former MP BY Raghavendra.
The Congress has ceded the seat to JD(S) and the ruling alliance is fielding former JD(S) MLA Madhu Bangarappa, who is the son of former Chief Minister S Bangarappa.
The JD(U) (Nitish Kumar) has fielded the son of another Chief Minister, late JH Patel, Mahima Patel. But it looks like a symbolic fight as Mahima Patel has no backing in the constituency.
But certainly the fight is between the BJP and the JD(S). All these candidates and their fathers are from Shivamogga district who played their politics to the hilt. Here even though cast is a factor Yeddyurappa commands significant clout to get his son elected.
Karnataka is having three by polls on November 3 and also by polls to two assembly seats. Yeddyurappa expressed confidence and said that his son will win with a huge margin to continue the good work in the constituency.
The resignations of BS Yeddyurappa and B Sriramulu of the BJP and CS Puttaraju of the JDS necessitated the bypolls to Shimoga, Bellary and Mandya Lok Sabha seats.
Even though the political parties were not ready for the short period of by elections to lok sabha ahead of 2019 general elections the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) decision came as a shock to them and with no other option before them but to go for polls. According to political observers this may have no bearing on the general elections a few months away, but significant in deciding the fate of the coalition Government of JD(S) and the Congress.
These elections before Assembly polls in five States might also indicate the political wind and its direction. For the BJP it is crucial to recapture Karnataka as the entry to the south. For its Lingayat strongman Yeddyurappa this battle is crucial as it decides his position in the saffron party.
The unity of opposition parties which got started in Karnataka to take on BJP, Modi Shah combine has fizzled out and BJP is Karnataka is expected to garner more seats to help the party it loss in other States.
In Bellary where Reddy brothers still control the BJP has fielded former MP J Shantha for the by poll for Lok Sabha. She is the younger sister of party strongman and MLA B Sriramulu. The Congress has fielded MLC VS Ugrappa, ignoring the claims of Congress MLA B Nagendra’s brother Venkatesh Prasad for the ticket. In Mandya Lok Sabha by poll, a stronghold of JDs the election looks one-sided. The JDS swept all eight seats in the recent Assembly polls and the BJP lost deposit in all seats. The JDS-Congress has fielded former MLA LR Shivarame Gowda and BJP has fielded retired Government official Siddaramaiah from Mandya. But the local Congress workers and leaders openly expressed displeasure over the alliance with JDS and the BJP is trying to woo some of them.
Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said the Congress has given the seat to us. Madhu is a strong candidate.” In the recently held Assembly elections, Congress and JDS together polled over 90,000 more votes than the BJP in Shivamogga”, he said .
State Congress president Dinesh Gundurao said that Congress had asked JDS to field its candidate only to give a good fight to BJP.
In Ramanagara Assembly seat vacated by Kumaraswamy after he won from two seats, his wife and former MLA Anitha Kumaraswamy is contesting on JDS ticket backed by the Congress. The BJP has fielded local Congress leader and MLC CM Lingappa’s son L Chandrashekhar against her. This is the Vokkaligaheart land and the fight is between them. In Jamakhandi Assembly seat, the Congress has fielded deceased Congress MLA Siddu Nyamagouda’s son Anand Nyamagouda. The BJP has fielded former MLA Srikanth Kulkarni against him.