Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Phase Two: Karnataka will be voting in two phases for the crucial Lok Sabha elections. Karnataka will vote on April 26 during the second phase and on May 7 during the third phase. The first time Karnataka votes for the 18th Lok Sabha elections, will also see a high-stakes battle ensue between Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s brother, DK Suresh, and former Prime Minister of India HD Deve Gowda‘s popular cardiologist son-in-law CN Majunath for the Bangalore Rural constituency.
Bangalore South will witness a tough battle of the influential Vokkaliga families in the Congress bastion, that has been won by DK Suresh since 2013.
Congress’ incumbent MP DK Suresh is set to lock horns with renowned cardiologist C N Manjunath who is the son-in-law of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and is contesting on a BJP ticket, for the Bangalore Rural seat.
Understanding Bangalore Rural
Located across the districts of Ramanagara, Bangalore Urban, and Tumakuru in southern Karnataka, the Bangalore Rural constituency boasts a predominantly rural landscape, accounting for 80% of its territory. However, interspersed within this rural expanse are IT parks and industrial townships, reflecting pockets of urban development.
With a diverse electorate, approximately 70% Vokkaligas and 15% Muslims make up the constituency’s voting demographics, presenting a complex and varied political landscape.
Polls in Bangalore Rural
In 2009, the first election after the 2008 delimitation, the Bangalore Rural seat was won by Deve Gowda’s son and former CM H D Kumaraswamy.
DK Suresh won the constituency in a bypoll in 2013 and retained it in 2014 and 2019, with a vote share of over 44% and 54% respectively.
The Congress leaders DK Shivakumar and DK Suresh Brothers dealt another blow to the JD(S) first family during Karnataka Assembly polls 2023 when Congress candidate Iqbal Hussain defeated Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil by more than 10,000 votes in the Ramanagara Assembly segment that had been with the “JD(S)’s first family” since 2004.
Apart from Ramanagara, the Congress holds Anekal, Kunigal, Magadi and Kanakapura Assembly segments while the BJP has MLAs in the Rajarajeshwarinagar and Bangalore South seats.
The JD(S) holds the Channapatna Assembly constituency. The three seats with the BJP-JD(S) alliance account for 50% of Bangalore Rural’s voters.
Vokkaliga community factor in Bangalore Rural
The BJP, traditionally supported by the Lingayat community, is now setting its sights on garnering support from the Vokkaliga community in Karnataka. Historically, the Vokkaligas have been loyal to the JD(S), but recent trends suggest a shift towards the Congress.
With the JD(S) alliance, BJP hopes to make inroads into the Vokkaliga vote bank, potentially altering the state’s political landscape.
Lok Sabha Elections Phase 2: Karnataka
For Phase Two Udupi Chikmagalur, Hassan, Dakshina Kannada, Chitradurga, Tumkur, Mandya, Mysore, Chamarajanagar, Bangalore Rural, Bangalore North, Bangalore Central, Bangalore South, Chikkballapur, and Kolar will go into voting on April 26.
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Published: 25 Apr 2024, 06:11 AM IST