Will BJP-JDS alliance dent Congress’ prospects in Chikkaballapur?
CHIKKABALLAPUR: The Chikkaballapur Lok Sabha constituency is not just located close to Bengaluru but also has several Assembly segments that are urban and considered to be part of the state capital.
Chikkaballapur constituency has eight Assembly segments — Gauribidanur, Bagepalli, and Chikkaballapur (Chikkaballapur district), Yelahanaka (Bengaluru Urban district), and Hoskote, Devanahalli, and Doddaballapur, and Nelamangala (Bengaluru Rural district).
Despite its proximity to Bengaluru city, the Chikkaballapura LS segment faces several woes, including shortage of drinking water, unemployment, and lack of basic infrastructure, especially in rural pockets of Bagepalli and Gauribidanur. As a result, the constituency sees rampant migration of people to neighbouring urban settlements, mainly Bengaluru, for employment opportunities.
Politically, the constituency has always been a Congress stronghold. In the 2019 General Elections, the Congress-JDS alliance fielded senior Congress leader and former chief minister, M Veerappa Moily, against the BJP’s BN Bache Gowda. Moily, who had won from Chikkaballapur twice in the past (2009 and 2014) lost to Gowda, and thus the BJP won the constituency for the first time.
Fast-forward to 2024 the alliance this time is between the BJP and JDS, with the Congress ruling the state. The NDA has fielded former Karnataka health minister Dr K Sudhakar against Congress’ Raksha Ramaiah, who is general secretary of the Youth Congress. Ramaiah is the son of former minister MR Seetharam and the grandson of politician and educationist MS Ramaiah. Both the leaders are making their debuts in Lok Sabha polls and are confident of winning.
Dr Sudhakar, who had entered Vidhana Soudha by winning the Chikkaballapur segment three times in the past, lost last year’s Assembly elections.
Ramaiah belongs to the Balija community, which has a significant presence in Begepalli and Chikkaballapur constituencies. Dr Sudhakar, who hails from the Vokkaliga community, was also the district minister of Chikkaballapur and Bengaluru Rural districts during the BJP rule. He is confident of getting the Vokkaliga, SCs, and other community votes. Also, the JDS support, which garnered close to 2.25 lakh votes in the district in the 2023 Assembly polls, will come in handy for Dr Sudhakar.
Ramaiah, on the other hand, is sure of a win after the Congress bagged five of the eight Assembly segments in the 2023 polls. Informed sources told The New Indian Express that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is considered to be close to Seetharam, has told Congress workers to work hard to ensure Ramaiah’s victory.
In a boost to Congress, former Chikkaballapur MLA, KP Bache Gowda, quit the JDS to join the GOP because he was unhappy with the NDA fielding Dr Sudhakar. And in a boost to the BJP, former MLA Shivanand joined the saffron party and is supporting Dr Sudhakar.
While 22.6% of voters belong to the Vokkaliga community, to which Dr Sudhakar belongs, 22% are SCs. While the Minorities make up 8.6% of the voter population, Balija, to which Ramaiah belongs, is 8%.
Dr Sudhakar, after having lost the 2023 Assembly elections, is leaving no stone unturned to win the battle. The JDS leaders and workers, too, are rallying behind Dr Sudhakar.
Ramaiah, who has been in touch with the Congress leaders for the last one year, has the support of party senior leaders and is also hoping that the victory wave of the Congress in the 2023 polls will help him cross the finish line
