Two important Karnataka constituencies go to polls on April 23 in Karnataka. These are Belgavi and Bellary. Here’s why they are important.
Image Courtesy: Hindustan Times
Belgavi:
Also known as Begaum, this region on the border between Karnataka and Maharashtra is significant because over the last few years it has emerged as a hotbed for extreme right wing supremacist groups, some of whom are also alleged to have engaged in acts of terror.
Groups like Hindu Janjagruti Samiti, Sri Ram Sene and Sanatan Sanstha are said to be active in the area. It is noteworthy that it is members of these organisations who have been named in the murders of rationalists like Narendra Dabholkar, MM Kalburgi, Govind Pansare and Gauri Lankesh. In fact, a member of Sanatan Sanstha was caught with a cache of explosives stored in his home.
Belgavi is also important because it has a significant population of Marathi speaking people who were disappointed when the district was handed over to Karnataka and not Maharashtra when states were formed along linguistic lines. The movement to merge with Maharashtra has seen several peaks and troughs over half a century.
The incumbent is Suresh Angadi, a three time MP from the BJP. The Congress candidate is Dr VS Sadhunavar.
Bellary:
Bellary is most famous for Reddy brothers; Janardhana, Karunakara and Somashekara, who hail from this region and have dominated the business and political landscape for close to two decades. Traditionally a Congress stronghold, Bellary was won by Karunakara Reddy who was fielded by the BJP in 2004. The BJP retained Bellary under J Shantha and B Sriramulu in the next two elections. The brother-sister duo was said to be close to the Reddy brothers.
But the BJP appeared to distance itself from the Reddy brothers after reports of their involvement in a mining scam. It was this scam that brought down CM Yedyurappa’s government in 2011. However, a reconciliation appeared to take place during the assembly elections in 2018.
But VS Ugrappa clinched Bellary parliamentary constituency back for the Congress in the by-election held in 2018. Ugrappa will now face off against BJP’s Y Devendrappa, who was himself previously with the Congress.
It is also noteworthy that Bellary is also the constituency from where Sonia Gandhi had defeated Sushma Swaraj in 1999.