Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018: Shikaripura -- The impregnable citadel of Yeddyurappa

Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 

Shikaripura: The impregnable citadel of Yeddyurappa

By Deepak Parvatiyar

The Marathi translation of this article was published in leading Marathi daily Pudhari on 1st May 2018

http://newspaper.pudhari.co.in/archive/viewpage.php?edn=Kolhapur&date=2018-05-01&edid=PUDHARI_KOL&pid=PUDHARI_KOL&pn=8#Page/8/Article/PUDHARI_KOL_20180501_08_3/424px/121B54B   

Having been associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh from his college days, the present Karnataka state Bharatiya Janata Party chief and CM aspirant, 75-year-old BS Yeddyurappa's public service began when he was appointed as Karyavaha (Secretary) of the Sangh's Shikaripur unit in 1970. Eversince Shikaripur has remained this former state Chief Minister’s stronghold. In the past, in 1975, he had even served as president of the Town Municipality of Shikaripura – Shikaripura assembly constituency is named after the town of Shikaripur, which forms part of the constituency in Shivamogga (Shimoga) district in Central Karnataka.

The capital of Banavasi Nadu during 12th century, Shikaripura assembly constituency lies between the plains of Bayaluseeme and tropical forests of Malenadu, about 300 km northwest of Bengaluru. Known for its temples -- Keshareshwara temple, Panchalinga temple. Kaithaleshwara and Thripuramthakeshwara temple are known for the architectural beauty, the constituency is multi ethnic with people from Kuruba, Gudigar, Lingayat, Lambaani, Havyak, Muslim, Christian communities.  The constituency has1,84,956 voters. However the Lingayats dominate the seat.

It was way back in 1983 that Yeddyurappa, a Lingayat, had first contested and won the Shikaripura assembly seat. Out of the 8 elections that  he has contested from this constituency, he has lost just once, in 1999. This has been his constituency since 1983 and he enjoys loyal support of the voters of his constituency despite being dragged into controversies.

After the Karnataka Lokayukta investigating the illegal mining case in its report indicted him in 2011 for illegally profiteering from land deals in Bangalore and Shimoga, and also in connection with the illegal iron ore export scam in Bellary, Tumkur and Chitradurga districts of Karnataka, he had to resigned from his position as Member of Legislative Assembly and primary membership of Bharatiya Janata Party on 30 November 2012. He had then formally launched the Karnataka Janata Paksha. Even then his voters remained loyal to him -- In the 2013 assembly election, Yeddyurappa won this seat by a margin of 24,000 votes as a Karnataka Janata Paksha candidate. He had then defeated his nearest Congress rival H.S.Shantaveerappa Gowda by a margin on 24,425 votes.

There are no permanent friends or foes in politics and this also applied on Yeddyurappa. He announced in September 2013, that the KJP would support the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance to ensure the victory of Narendra Modi, in assembly by elections in 2014. On 2 January 2014 he announced merger with BJP ahead of 2014 Lok Sabha elections and then won from the Shimoga Lok Sabha seat on a BJP ticket by a margin of 363,305 votes. His elder son B.Y.Raghavendra, who had earlier won the Shimoga Lok Sabha seat for the BJP by defeating former CM Sarekoppa Bangarappa in 2009, this time contested and won the Shikaripura assembly seat for the BJP in a by election in 2014.He  defeated  his nearest Congress rival H. S. Shanthaveerappa Gowda by a margin of 6,430 votes.

This time though, Raghavendra is not contesting the election, and instead handling his father’s campaign. But incumbent Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of the Congress has  attacked the BJP of indulging into dynastic politics and taking “decision” to field the decision Raghavendra in the elections to the Lok Sabha.

Surprisingly though, the Congress has fielded a considerably ‘lightweight’ candididate, GB Malatesh, popularly known as Goni Malatesh, against Yedyurappa this time. Malatesh is a local municipality member and block Congress president. He is a Kuruba by caste and many even within the Congress say that he is not even a well known name in Shivamogga district. Many within the Congress had expected former MLA Mahalingappa, who had defeated Yeddyurappa on a Congress ticket in 1999, to be given the party ticket against Yeddyurappa. Reports suggest that even chief minister Siddaramaiah was in favour of fielding local MLC and former district 

Congress president Prasanna Kumar from Shikaripura.

However, Shimoga district Congress president TN Srinivas claimedthat a Kuruba candidate like Malatesh could mobilise Backward Class, Muslim and SC/ST votes against Yeddyurappa.

Observers feel that the Janata Dal (Secular) on the contrary has fielded a much stronger candidate, HT Baligar, who is a Lingayat. Incidentally, this has come as a surprise to those who were claiming JD(S) to be the ‘B’ team of the BJP. While Baligar is campaigning aggressively across Shikaripura, Yeddyurappa is likely to campaign only closer to voting day, May 12.