As Yatnal seeks a second term from the constituency, development and Hindutva are the main issues he is raising. Yatnal is not new to controversies and the latest was the ‘Vishkanya’ remark against Sonia Gandhi. However, the BJP claims that the basic needs of the city have been taken care of.
BJP district president Shivrudra Bagalkot said: “Development and Hindutva is our agenda. Our MLA has done a lot of work in five years. There was a big problem of drinking water and roads here. Now those issues have been addressed. More than 30 open gyms and more than 50 RO plants have been installed. The primary issues have been resolved. ,
Meanwhile, the Congress alleges that the development is patchy and the interior areas lack proper roads, drinking water and health facilities.
MB Patil, former minister and KPCC campaign committee chairman, said: “The present MLA talks of development. You should go to the wards where there is a Muslim majority population. They have not even developed a road there. He has been partial. Once you become an MLA, you are the MLA of all the people and not of any one community. Patil also alleged that the MLA gives hate speeches and instigates Muslims in the area.
Congress candidate Mushrif lost the last election by around 6,000 votes, but he is hopeful of winning this time. His promises include drinking water, better roads, health facilities, electricity and industries for the people of Vijayapura.
There are about 2.7 lakh voters in this constituency of which about 1 lakh are Muslims. It is a historic city with Gol Gumbaz, the second largest dome in the world, and the district is also the birthplace of Basavanna, the saint-philosopher who reformed the society in the 12th century.
One demand that is consistent with the constituency is that they need more development. The region also sees an exodus of youth in search of better opportunities.
Nataraj, a trader at Gandhi Chowk market, said: “We have a lot of historical places but we need better transport for tourism to grow. Rail, road and air connectivity should be developed. Now the work of the airport is going on. There will be better opportunities in this place only when infrastructure and tourism are developed.
Another resident says tourists often talk about the lack of infrastructure and don’t want to return.
An auto driver in the city said: “Our major concern is 24×7 drinking water. In my area, water comes once in seven-ten days.
Yashas Limbikai, another resident, said jobs for the youth were missing. “They need to bring IT parks, dry fruit industries and factories so that there are more job opportunities in the area.”
Raisin production is one of the most important activities in the region. About 17,500 hectares of land are under grape cultivation, mainly for raisins and wine. Grape growers also have many concerns and issues which need the attention of the government.
Karnataka Grape Growers’ Association president Abhay Kumar said that like Nandini, a trade name should be created by the state board. “There should be grading of quality raisins. The government should give a certificate for the quality of the product. There should also be a platform for online sales.
Mahesh, whose family has a vineyard in Vijayapura, said: “In India, Bijapur and the Krishna river belt region is the second largest producer of raisins, but we have less storage facilities. About one lakh storage facilities are needed. But we have availability of around 50-60,000 only. As a result good products from Bijapur go to Maharashtra and become more popular all over India. This needs to be addressed.
read all latest politics news And karnataka election 2023 update here