1 month ago
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After having campaigned extensively for 3 days earlier, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was backmost successful Davangere again connected Sunday, successful a bid to scope retired to AHINDA voters who look to beryllium much divided this clip connected who should beryllium their typical successful Davangere South Assembly constituency.
In a constituency wherever the expansive aged antheral of the Congress, Shamanur Shivashankarappa, ne'er mislaid since it was created aft delimitation successful 2008, for the archetypal time, minorities person kept the Congress leaders connected tenterhooks successful the byelection, the polling for which is scheduled connected April 9.
The Davangere South constituency which was carved retired from the erstwhile Davangere Assembly constituency successful 2008, is not geographically compact. Although named arsenic Davangere South arsenic it comprises clump of villages successful the southbound of Davangere, the constituency has respective municipal wards successful the northbound of Davangere predominantly inhabited by Muslims and moving class.
Muslims person been demanding practice successful the constituency and contesting arsenic Independents since 2008. This time, 13 retired of the full 25 candidates successful the fray are Muslims.
However, barring the 2013 elections erstwhile JD(S) campaigner Syed Saifulla Karekatte stood 2nd with implicit 26,000 votes, nary of the Muslim candidates person been capable to scope 5 figures. But the voting patterns bespeak that it is the Muslim votes that determine the triumph and besides the winning margin, arsenic evident successful the past 4 elections.
Lingayats signifier the adjacent large chunk of voters successful the constituency, followed by Kurubas, Marathas, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes and others.
Main contenders
Among the 25 candidates successful the fray, the main contenders are the BJP’s Srinivas T. Dasakariyappa and the Congress’ Samarth Mallikarjun.
While Mr. Dasakariyappa is the State vice=president of the ST Morcha of the BJP, Mr. Samarth, a governmental novice, is the lad of Minister S.S. Mallikarjun and grandson of the precocious Shamanur Shivankarappa, whose demise has necessitated the byelection.
The issues
Representation for Muslims, much peculiarly the deficiency of it, has been the talking constituent of the byelection, particularly among the younger Musim voters, which yet resulted successful Congress person Sadiq Pahilwan’s rebellion, who has subsequently ‘retired’ from the contest.
The different talking constituent is the prime of Congress candidate, whose begetter is simply a Minister and parent an MP.
While the Shamanur household members are making precocious claims astir the improvement ushered successful by them, non-accessibility to typical and deficiency of improvement successful Davangere South compared to Davangere North are the different 2 issues, which are being highlighted by their opponents.
Although Mr. Pahilwan has ‘retired’ from the contest, the Congress seems to beryllium disquieted astir astatine slightest 3 candidates of the full 13 Muslim candidates, who whitethorn devour into the Congress ballot share. So it is making efforts to woo the voters of different communities, chiefly Lingayats and Kurubas.
On the different hand, the BJP is trying to consolidate the votes of SCs and STs and others on with the Lingayat and Maratha votes done assemblage leaders.
Vinaykumar G.B., a young entrepreneur, who contested arsenic an Independent aft being denied Congress summons successful the Lok Sabha elections, is present appealing for votes successful favour of the BJP done ‘padayatras’ by his ‘Swabhimani Balaga’.
As the canvass run is nearing decision and the Congress has made different effort to placate Muslim voters done Housing Minister B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan, the result seems to beryllium connected the last determination of the minorities.
