Vijayanagara: In the new District of Vijayanagara, the election campaign is now going on in full swing. Challenging the scorching sun, the candidates have come to the poll campaigning with wheels on their legs. In the 2018 elections, Congress won 3 constituencies and BJP won 2 constituencies. After Anand Singh resigned and won the by-election from BJP in Vijayanagara, there are three BJP MLAs and Congress has two.
Vijayanagara District was earlier a part of Ballari District. Elections are being held in the new district for the first time after the division of the district, and the Congress has a history of victory in most of the constituencies. In 1994, the BJP has had its first victory in Hospete Constituency in the District.
Hoovina Hadagali Constituency is known as Constituency of conscious voters. Voters here have not given power back to those who won once. However, only M. P. Prakash in 1983 and 1985 and P. T. Parameshwara Naika in 2013 and 2018 were elected by the voters twice. Still there is a saying that the party that wins here will hold the helm of power and govern the state. When the BJP won in 2008, it was at the helm of power in the state. Later, Congress came in to power 2013 and Congress-JDS coalition Government in 2018.
P. T. Parameshwara Naika, the incumbent MLA in Hoovina Hadagali, which is an SC Reserved Constituency, lost in 2008, won in 2013 and 2018 and is now expecting a hat-trick.
BJP has fielded a surprise candidate, Krishna Naika, leaving behind tens of aspirants including Former BJP MLA Chandra Naika. For this reason, some aspirants, leaders and thousands of workers have left the party and joined Praja Party. Putresh is in the fray from JD (S) and there are chances of direct fight with Congress even though BJP has internal problems.
In Hagari Bommanalli Reserved Constituency B. P. Bhimanaika, sitting MLA is expecting a hat-trick victory. In 2013, he won from JD (S) against BJP by a margin of only 125 votes and in 2018, he joined Congress and won. This time, Former MLA Nemaraj Naika, who was in tears after losing the BJP ticket, has defected and contested from JD (S). Faced with insurgency, BJP has surprisingly fielded Ballahunsi Ramanna here as well. Thus, there is a triangular contest in the Hagaribommanahalli constituency.
Minister Anand Singh is the undefeated leader in Vijayanagara Constituency, having contested four times since 2008. However, this time he sacrificed his seat and fielded his son Siddhartha Singh Thakur. H. R. Gaviyappa, who was a non-party MLA in 2004, is now a Congress candidate. There was direct competition between the two, and Congress has not won here since 1999. Anand Singh’s sister Rani Samyukta, who was a member of BJP’s National Women’s Executive, joined the Congress after the announcement of the ticket. Meanwhile, Vijayanagara is all set for a fierce competition between the young and the experienced. JD (S) has lost its existence in the Vijayanagara Constituency amid the charisma of Congress-BJP candidates.
In Kudligi N. Y. Gopalakrishna, who was the BJP MLA from the ST Reserved constituency has resigned and joined Congress and contested from Molakalmuri. Dr. N. T. Srinivas, son of Former MLA N. T. Bommanna, who contested from JD (S) last time, has now contested from Congress and Lokesh V. Nayak from BJP. Kodihalli Bheemanna, who was expecting a BJP ticket, has contested from JD (S) after he failed to get ticket. The BJP is facing insurgency and there is resentment that outsiders were given a face here. Former CM Kumaraswamy will campaign heavily for Kodihalli Bheemanna. Therefore, along with the party, the candidate is also likely to be chosen by the voters. Thus, there is a triangular competition in Kudligi constituency as well.
Harapanahalli constituency, which was earlier a part of Davangere District, was the first in the new District. It is ready for election. After Hadagali MLA P. T. Parameshwara Naika, no one has won here twice in a row. Incumbent MLA G. Karunakar Reddy contested from BJP and won against Former Deputy Chief Minister M. P. Prakash in 2008. After the death of M. P. Prakash, he lost to his son M. P. Ravindra in 2013 and won again in 2018. This time M. P. Prakash’s daughter MP Lata is contesting as a non-party candidate as she failed to get Congress ticket. N. Kotresh, who contested from KJP and JD (S) in the previous elections and attracted attention in the polls, this time has entered the fray from Congress. Since it is a General constituency, there is sure to be a three-cornered contest in Harpanahalli. Facing the heat of rebellion in Harpanahalli, Former Minister N. M. Nabi’s son Noor Ahmed is in the fray from JD (S). KRS and AAP candidates are contesting in all constituencies of the District and there is a possibility of vote being split.