As the Karnataka elections approach, the onus is on Congress to perform in AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge’s backyard. The article explores the party’s prospects in the region.
Following the appointment of Mallikarjun Kharge as president of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), the Karnataka unit of the Congress is under pressure to perform well in the seven districts of Kalyana Karnataka. This region has traditionally been a Congress stronghold, with the party winning 21 of the total 40 seats in the 2018 elections. Congress is promoting the narrative of a lack of jobs and a massive backlog of promotions under Article 371J. The BJP is primarily interested in profiting from its decision to create internal reservation for SC communities as well as an increase in reservation for Lingayats (2%) and ST communities (4%). JD(S) is attempting to increase its regional influence by courting Lingayats.
In Kalaburagi, the Congress is emphasising the fact that Basavaraj Bommai’s council of ministers does not include an MLA from the district. The BJP is going to town in neighbouring Bidar district over the construction of a Rs 500 crore replica of Anubhava Mantapa. The saffron party faces a difficult task in gaining support from Banjaras who are enraged by the government’s new reservation matrix. To counter the opposition’s campaign, the saffron party hopes to declare backward Yadgir a “aspirational district.” The saffron party is also facing opposition in Raichur district, where residents want an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to compensate for the loss of IIT to Dharwad.
The main concern in Koppal district is an extensive land acquisition to cultivate Anjanadri Hills, widely regarded as the birthplace of Lord Hanuman.
The presence of discredited mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy is expected to have an impact on the outcome. Congress won six of the nine assembly seats in the twin districts of Vijayanagara and Ballari in 2018. The saffron party believes the results will be reversed this time because it has met the request for the development of Vijayanagara district and its noticeable ST leader.
