On April 9 the two Assembly bypolls in Karnataka are going to be a litmus test for the ruling Congress and the major Opposition BJP. The bypolls at Nanjangud and Gundalpet constituencies have become a personal fight between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and BJP strongman and former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa.
The slew of appeasement of backward classes to the hilt by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is not only targeting bypolls but also aims at 2018 Assembly polls which is crucial for the Congress to keep its power intact in Karnataka.
Yeddyurappa after his party’s historic sweep in UP and formation of Governments in other three States recently, has become very aggressive and fully confident about the victory in both the constituencies. Yeddyurappa also feels that the election results were an indicator of the future of Karnataka politics.
The lingayat strongman who has already been projected as the BJP’s Chief Ministerial candidate, betting big on Prime Minister Modi and saffron surge to bring back BJP wiping out the Congress. His mantra is ‘Congress mukt Karnataka’ and if Congress loses power in the State it’s difficult for the century old party to regain its number two position and as a national party.
The elections to the two constituencies were necessitated following the resignation of V Srinivas Prasad as MlA after he was dropped from the Cabinet and his subsequent entry to the BJP. The polls to Gundlupet in Chamarajanagar district are being held owing to the sudden demise of HS Mahadeva Prasad.
Former senior Congress leader and Dalit icon V Srinivas Prasad who has rebelled against Siddaramaiah for dropping him from the Cabinet unscrupulously is contesting from Nanjangud reserve constituency and BJP’s campaign is going on in full throttle to woo the voters. The Dalits and lingayat community voters are deciding factor in this constituency.
The by-polls for Nanjangud and Gundlpet constituencies have been seen as a referendum for the ruling Congress for the 2018 elections and personally it decides the future of Siddaramaiah.
For the saffron party which is experimenting UP type of caste polarisation of dalits the win proves taking over Congress stronghold in old Mysuru region and also securing dalit vote banks to its kitty which holds future for the Assembly polls.
For Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, these polls are a challenge at his home turf and when he joined the Congress in 2006 from JDs he won by a small margin at Chamundeshwari Assembly constituency.
Many in the Congress feel if they lose even one seat it would have an adverse impact on the party prospects in 2018
elections. Siddaramaiah Government might face
anti-incumbency and also many controversial issues have
dented the image in the recent past. But the slew of measures directing towards backward classes, Dalis and minorities in the budget are seen as an appeasement politics to keep his vote bank intact.
In 1993, the lingayats and Dalits had clashed at Badanavalu in Nanjangud taluk over the rejuvenation of a temple, and that could still play a major role in this election. Former Chief Minister Krishna’s entry has also given a boost to BJP in the old Mysuru turf.