2 months ago
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An incumbent Minister, a Member of Parliament, and now, a subordinate of the 3rd procreation trying to clasp a spot represented by his gramps — that sums up the governmental power the Shamanur household wields successful Davangere city, erstwhile known arsenic “Manchester of Karnataka” owing to the beingness of galore fabric mills.
As the campaigning for the byelection to Davangere South Assembly constituency is picking up, questions are being raised astir the Shamanur family’s decades-long clasp implicit the constituency and whether it volition beryllium capable to clasp the power successful the lack of “the expansive aged man”, Shamanur Shivashankarappa, whose decease has necessitated the bypoll.
Local assemblage election
It was successful 1969 that Shivashankarappa’s stint with the Congress started. He won the municipal assembly predetermination successful Davangere and subsequently became the president successful the adjacent mates of years. After a agelong stint arsenic treasurer of the State Cognress Committee, Shivashankarappa entered the Assembly for the archetypal clip successful 1994 from Davangere Assembly Constituency. As helium successfully contested the parliamentary predetermination successful 1998, his lad S.S. Mallikarjun took implicit and defended the spot successful the byelection and past retained it 1999. Shivashankarappa against contested and won it successful 2004.
Due to delimitation successful 2008, the Davangere Assembly conception mislaid its beingness and got bifurcated into Davangere North and South Assembly constituencies. Ever since then, the Davangere South Assembly constituency has been with the family, with Shivashankarappa winning it successful 2008, 2013, 2018, and 2023 successively. He besides went connected to go a Minister. For the past 3 decades, the constituency has been nether the power of the Shamanur family, with begetter winning it six times and lad 2 times.
Post delimitation, the household has besides been capable to triumph the different Assembly constituency (Davangere North) twice. The triumph of Prabha Mallikarjun, daughter-in-law of Shivashankarappa and woman of Mr. Mallikarjun successful 2024 parliamentary elections points towards the expanding governmental clout of the household successful the region.
Political analysts are of the sentiment that the empire built by Shivashankarappa, chiefly done acquisition institutions and industries, done which assorted philanthropic activities are initiated, and his power implicit Lingayat voters arsenic president of Akhila Bharat Veerashaiva Lingayat Mahasabha (a typical assemblage of Lingayat community), person unneurotic had sizeable electoral impact. As helium headed the Mahasabha, Shivashankarappa wielded power implicit the members of the Veerashaiva-Lingayat assemblage crossed the State successful wide and successful peculiar his constituency, wherever Lingayats are successful sizeable number.
Minorities factor
Importantly, the family’s bonhomie with the minorities is 1 of the large contributing origin to the family’s successive victories. However, earlier each election, determination person been voices demanding practice to Muslims.
But each time, the Shamanur household has managed to triumph implicit the minorities earlier the polls, and seems to person done truthful this clip too. Considering the information that the minorities are the deciding origin successful the byelection, BJP leaders are seemingly trying to person them that electing Samarth Shamanur (Congress candidate) would mean nary practice for the Muslims for the adjacent 5 decades. Will it enactment is the moot question.
