Amid the tussle between Congress guarantees and Modi factors, the Bharatiya Janata Party has made a bizarre argument over the Neha Hiremas murder case in Hubballi to slam allegations of ‘appeasement politics’ against the Congress.
Emotions surrounding the murder helped Pralhad Joshi, the sitting MP from Dharwad constituency, to seek a fifth term.
The union minister is in a head-to-head competition with Vinod Asti, a young Congress candidate from Navalgund who is facing him for the first time in the LS polls.
Asthi was dealt a blow after Dingareshwar Swamy withdrew from the fray as an independent and pledged support to the Congress.
The seer has accused Joshi of “oppressing” Lingayat leaders, which may help the Congress garner support from Veerashaiva-Lingayats for candidates from backward communities.
The Dharwad constituency, which has been a Bharatiya Janata Party stronghold since 1996 (with a Veerashaiva Lingayat majority), has elected an MP from the region only three times in the past 17 elections (India (Vijay Sankeshwar of the People’s Party).
After delimitation in 2008, Dharwad North seat became Dharwad constituency.
This time, the Congress has fielded a non-Lingayat (Kuruba) candidate for the first time in 25 years, but Joshi is a Brahmin.
The BJP and Hindu organizations are using the Ram temple inauguration as a means to rally voters.
Although Joshi claims credit for various development activities, he is seen as relying more on Hindutva and Modi elements, leading to sharper claims of an “anti-Hindu Congress”.
Congress is counting on its guarantee system and Ahinda voters. The party has also noted the increase in Veerashaiva and Lingayat votes, especially since last year’s assembly polls.
Joshi started preparing for elections long in advance. Asthi, who could not stand from Navalgund in the 2018 assembly elections and lacks connectivity with voters in some parts of the constituency, is relying on Congress MLAs and other leaders to help him reach out to people. ing.
“Whatever the reason for Neha’s murder, this incident has infuriated everyone. Look at how the Congress government initially reacted to it. Doesn’t this create a feeling that you can do anything and still not belong to Scotland? Why should we vote for that party? ” said Akshata Kadakol of Lingarajnagar in Hubballi.
KPCC general secretary Sadanand Dhanganavar said young people were convinced of how the Bharatiya Janata Party had played “selfish politics” over Neha’s death. “This issue will boomerang on the Bharatiya Janata Party. People want a peaceful life,” he said.
Questions about candidate development and vision take a backseat in poll-related discussions.
A political analyst said the fight would have been very tough had the Congress fielded a strong candidate as the caste of the candidates does not matter here.
Renavva Valmiki of Chikkamallur in Shiggaon taluk is grateful to the Siddaramaiah government for guarantee schemes like ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ and ‘Shakti’.
“Now that we have received these benefits, we must support them to help the poor,” she says.
Shekappa Kalasad of Guddadafurikatti in Kalgaggi taluk asks how long such schemes will last and why people should not be empowered to earn for themselves. “We need Mr. Modi,” he says flatly.
At Navalgund’s Raitha Bhawan, where indefinite protests over the Mahadaai issue are ongoing, Ningappa Totad says both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress have misled farmers on the issue. However, he wants Mr Modi to become prime minister again for the “security and development of the country”.
When Jannatvi Abhigheri of Bhadrapur village in Anigheri taluk said that the Congress should be supported as it has fulfilled its guarantees, Dinesh Sanu of Niggadi in Dharwad taluk said that the state’s “individuals” and “temporary We feel that we need to look at the long-term vision rather than ‘things’ benefits such as warranties.
The voting pattern of Dharwad assembly constituency is different from that of the underlying assembly constituency. Irrespective of the ups and downs in the assembly polls, the BJP has won the last seven polls.
“People are focusing on national issues and national symbols in the Lok Sabha polls. Guarantee is a national issue, but in the LS polls, Mr. Modi has support, especially among the youth.” Mr. Neha’s The killing will definitely give some advantage to the BJP,” said a senior journalist.
(issued April 25, 2024, 02:48 IST)
