Karnataka: BJP’s golden horse aims to secure Bagalkot for a fifth consecutive time
In 2004, the Congress stronghold of Bagalkot LS seat was taken over by sitting Member of Parliament Parvatagouda Chanadanagoud Gaddigoudar, who then transformed it into BJP territory. The BJP won all three of the following Lok Sabha elections. He now wants to win a record five titles and make history for the constituency.
This time, a battle is taking place in the cane-producing and historically significant Bagalkot district in Badami taluk between the 72-year-old BJP warhorse and his 30-year-old Congress opponent Samyukta Patil.
The Congress won 11 of the district’s previous 17 Lok Sabha elections, while the Janata Dal and Lok Shakti parties each won one.
In addition to stopping the Congress’s winning run in 2004, the saffron party has held the seat ever since, with Gaddigoudar firmly in place.
It is interesting to note that Gaddigoudar has faced various candidates from the Congress, his closest adversary, in all four elections including this one.
In 2004, the Congress put up former MLC S R Patil to challenge him; in 2009, current Bilagi MLA J T Patil; in 2014, the party’s nominee was former minister Ajaykumar Sarnayak; and in 2019, former ZP president Veena Kashappanavar emerged as the first female contender to take on Gaddigoudar. Gaddigoudar is running against Samyukta Patil, a female candidate, in this election as well.
Samyukta, the daughter of Textile Minister Shivanand Patil, is one of the state’s youngest candidates in the Lok Sabha elections. She is running for office for the first time, and she is from a neighboring district. She is from the Vijayapura district.
This would have been a disadvantage for her since Bagalkot voters would have seen her as a “outsider.” Reports from the ground, however, indicate that she was able to remove the tag to a considerable degree thanks to a comprehensive campaign and concerted efforts by all Congress MLAs.
However, Gaddigoudar’s local origins, seniority, and close relationships with leaders of other communities seem to have kept him popular among Bagalkot voters. However, the BJP MLAs’ purported lack of support could not provide him with the desired outcomes.
Not very promising for development
Undoubtedly, Gaddigoudar is seen as a “decent” politician, but despite the district’s potential, he has come under fire for failing to bring in any large enterprises or significantly expand the tourist industry.
Caste-related formulas
Caste issues might potentially harm Gaddigoudar’s chances. As Samyukta is also from the Panchamsali community, which has historically supported the BJP, they could vote for her this time. It should be mentioned that Veena Kashappanavar, a Panchamsali, received a sizable amount of votes from the community but lost the election in the previous one.
Given the sizeable Muslim and Kuruba populations, their unification may also have an impact on Gaddigoudar’s chances as a member of the Ganiga community.
The eight LS seats of Bagalkot are represented by five Congress MLAs, in addition to the state government led by the Congress party. Bagalkot LS constituency includes the Gadag district’s Nargund assembly segment. If Gaddigoudar prevails, it won’t come as a surprise, but if a female contender defeats him, history will undoubtedly be made.
