Constituency Watch — Shivamogga: Shivamogga braces for triangular contest

Tribune News Service

Aksheev Thakur

New Delhi, April 27

After the Phase 2 polls, all eyes are set on the triangular showdown in Karnataka’s Shivamogga parliamentary constituency.

Till March, the constituency was heading for a star-studded faceoff between the two children of two former Chief Ministers of Karnataka. However after BJP rebel KS Eshwarappa entered the fray as an Independent, the Congress and BJP fear the splitting of OBC votes.

The incumbent MP, BY Raghavendra of the BJP, was set to be challenged by Geetha Shivarajkumar representing the Congress. While Raghavendra’s father, former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa is helming the party’s fight in the state, Geetha is the daughter of former Chief Minister S Bangarappa who had a large following in Shivamogga. While her brother, Madhu Bangarappa, is a minister in the Karnataka Government, her husband Shivarajkumar is one of the Kannada cinema’s leading actors and the son of Kannada matinee idol Dr Rajkumar.

Once a Congress bastion, it has become the strong turf of the BJP since 2009. Raghavendra has won the Shivamogga seat thrice since 2009. The dominance of Lingayats in the constituency and the pervasion of Hindutva in the region has helped the BJP making Shivamogga its fortress.

Ironically, in January, 93-year-old Congress MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa lauded Raghavendra and appealed to voters to re-elect him in a public meeting. Shivashankarappa heads a prominent Lingayat body in Shivamogga. Geetha belongs to the Ediga community, which has a substantial presence in the region.

Eshwarappa, who was ardently lobbying for his son KE Kantesh to get the Haveri Lok Sabha ticket, decided to contest the elections from Shivamogga when former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai was declared the candidate from Haveri.

Eshwarappa from Kuruba community was miffed with Yediyurappa who he alleged did not recommend his son’s name to the BJP high command. Eshwarappa, a prominent Hindutva face, along with Yediyurappa had played a formative role in the growth of the BJP in the state.

On his refusal to withdraw his nomination, Eshwarappa was suspended from the BJP.

“Yediyurappa has always focussed on his growth within the BJP and has not allowed others to grow. Modi is in my heart but even if he reaches out to me personally, I will not withdraw my candidature. I want the BJP to come to power again but my fight is against Yediyurappa,”said Eshwarappa.

A senior Congress leader in Shivamogga said, “Eshwarappa is a thorn in the neck of both the BJP and Congress as he will cut into the votes of both the parties. Shivamogga is a stronghold of BJP and Lingayats will prefer BJP. Congress is banking on guarantees and our candidate is strong. The campaigning is also in full swing.”

Voting for the Shivamogga constituency will be held in the third phase of the Lok Sabha poll on May 7.

Vital stats

14,41,833: Total voters

7,14,490: Male

7,27,310: Female

Others- 33

Total candidates in fray-23

Peek into past

(2019 LS poll)

Winner: BY Raghavendra (Bharatiya Janata Party)

Polled: 7,29,872 votes

Nearest rival: S Madhubangarappa (Janata Dal-Secular)

Polled: 5,06,512 votes

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