Report by C D Souza
As the poll day is nearing the battle for the 13 seats of undivided Dakshina Kannada is getting intensified and candidates and their supporters are on their final leg of campaign wooing voters. Despite the initial euphoria of a Congress wave sweeping across particularly in these coastal districts, the situation is now equally poised between the two major contenders as the Congress and the BJP are locked in a direct fight in most of these constituencies.
Minorities rally around Congress
Unlike in other parts of the state, the issues concerning these districts are pub attack, church attack, home stay attack and moral policing – all witnessed during the last five years of BJP rule. The opposition Congress has been using these issues to the tilt to drive home the point that the minorities are not safe under the BJP rule. These issues are more pronounced in Christian dominated Mangalore South and Mangalore North constituencies where the minorities are working overtime to teach a proper lesson to the BJP in the political hustings. Their combined efforts have fuelled the BJP and the RSS cadres to get into the field and accept the challenge and this is something Yogish Bhat and his camp wanted to recharge the party rank and file.
Though analysts predict Yogish Bhat to emerge victorious, nothing can be said clearly about the outcome. For the Congress the enemy is both from within and outside. Though the party projects itself as united personal interests and egos of Congress leaders are going to decide the fate of Congress candidate J R Lobo. Many of the Congress leaders don’t see eye to eye. Ramanatha Rai doesn’t want J R Lobo to win for the fear that he might lose the chance to become minister if Congress forms the government. Moily doesn’t want Lobo to win because credit for the victory may go to Poojary, his bête noire. Ivan’s future will be in doldrums if Lobo wins and all these factors play a decisive role in the battle for this constituency.
Mangalore (erstwhile Ullal) the traditional bastion of the Congress, may not be a cakewalk for the Congress as expected. The 50 percent minority votes are eyed by the Congress, SDPI, Muslim League and an independent Muslim candidate. However, SDPI is expected to take away a sizeable percentage of Muslim votes. There are a few who say that SDPI may damage the prospects of Congress which may ultimately benefit the BJP candidate Chandrahas Ullal.
In Mangalore North it looks like Congress cannot halt the Juggernaut of BJP’s Krishna Palemar who looks certain for a hat-trick. Palemar it is believed has nursed his constituency well especially with his money power and has taken into confidence both the majority and the minority in his stride. As result, though Surathkal has a sizeable minority votes, Palemar has nothing to fear. Congress candidate Moideen Bava is particularly weary of SDPI which is going to spoil whatever little chances he might have had.
Bantwal, where Ramanatha Rai of Congress ruled the roost has been a MLA for five times and is facing the challenge of BJP’s political novice Rajesh Naik. The general feeling initially was that Naik being new to politics it might be easy for Ramanatha Rai. But the emerging scene in the last few days in this constituency is different from what it was envisaged. Having won the constituency by a wafer-thin margin of about 1200 votes in 2008 Rai’s position is quite shaky. Both Rai and Naik belong to the powerful Bunt community and it remains to be seen who this community is going to side with in this election. Rai has given a challenge to the local RSS supremo Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat saying it is battle between him (Rai) and Prabhakar Bhat and that is going to boomerang on him because RSS is determined to give a fitting response to his in the political field.
Moodbidri, another stronghold of Congress is on a sticky wicket for the Congress as its candidate Abhaychandra Jain is said to be lagging in the third place. The constituency might give JD(S) the one and only victory in the coastal region as there is a triangular contest. Or the fight between Congress and JD (S) might prove beneficial to new entrant into the political field BJP’s Umanath Kotian.
Puttur is the one constituency which the BJP would have loved to win but it may not. Congress candidate Shakunthala Shetty looks poised for a win much to the embarrassment of the BJP. Unfortunately, in this whole drama of battle of egos between former Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda and Shakunthala Shetty, sitting BJP MLA Mallika Prasada has become a non-entity ignored and sidelined by all.
Sullia, a BJP’s bastion is set to go to BJP fold once again as S Angara is certain to win against Congress’s Dr Raghu.
In Belthangady BJP candidate Ranjith Gowda, a political novice is facing veteran in the field Vasanth Bangera. Belthangady, was a strong fort of the Congress where Bangera brothers ruled the roost. It may look the BJP has taken the risk of fielding a political novice half the age of his Congress opponent. But that is going to be a plus point for the BJP. Ranjith Gowda is thus set to face the challenge of his father Gangadhar Gowda’s political opponent reviving a three decade old political rivalry.
Keen tussle in temple town Udupi
As for Udupi, Pramod Madhwaraj looks certain for a win giving the temple town back to Congress lap and his money power is expected to fetch him votes. Kaup witnesses a battle for votes between rival Billava candidates – Vinaya Kumar Sorake of Congress and Vasantha Salian of JD(S) which might benefit BJP’s sitting MLA Lalaji Mendon.
Karkala is going to witness another intense battle between Congress candidate Gopala Poojary and BJP’s young opponent Sunil Kumar. Nothing can be said except that a keen tussle is on the cards.
Byndoor may go either BJP or Congress way. BJP took the rather drastic step of denying the ticket to sitting MLA Laxminarayana by fielding B M Sukumar Shetty against K Gopala Poojary of Congress. The constituency has 13 candidates in the fray including KJP, SDPI and JD(S).
Kundapur constituency has been in the news because of Halady factor. A miffed sitting BJP MLA Halady Srinivas Shetty has given a jolt to the BJP and is fighting as an independent candidate. BJP has fielded Kishore Kumar and Congress candidate Malyadi Shivaram Shetty is trying his luck to benefit from the division of votes.
The major issues in these elections differ from region to region. While in Mangalore insecurity of minorities is a major issue in Udupi it is the misdeeds of the BJP rule that is being talked about. In Kundapur it is going to be a battle of egos, fallout of the then BJP strongmen Halady Srinivas Shetty Kota Srinivas Poojary.
But one thing is sure. Except in one or two constituencies the margin of victory is going to be very thin and the candidates are sweating it out for garnering these crucial votes that may decide their fate. (Posted on May 2, 2013, @ 6pm)
