HUBBALI: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is engaged in a tricky three-cornered battle in Shiggaon, his bastion. The Congress in a determined try to wrest the seat from Bommai, who has received thrice in a row, has once more fielded a Muslim candidate, Pathan Yasir Ahamad Khan. Businessman-turned-politician from the Panchamasali Lingayat neighborhood, Shashidhar Yeligar is representing the Janata Dal(S).
More than a Janata Dal candidate, Yeligar is a distinguished face within the constituency and has deep roots within the Panchamasali Lingayat neighborhood which is a robust Lingayat group. The Congress, in keeping with the native individuals, ought to have given the seat to a Panchamasali Lingayat and this could have given sleepless nights to Bommai. However, the presence of numerous Muslims, round 50,000, led to the Congress considering of fielding a Muslim once more within the constituency.
The Congress had fielded Syed Azeempeer Khadri within the final elections and he had misplaced to Bommai. Hence it modified the face and fielded Pathan Yasir Ahmad Khan. The Congress is anticipating a cut up within the Lingayat votes between Bommai and Yelligar and the Muslims voting en masse for the Congress candidate. The Congress leaders are of the opinion that with the Muslim votes going solely to the occasion, and the Lingayat votes getting cut up, the opportunity of Khan scraping by means of may be very actual.
However sources within the Yalligar camp instructed IANS that there’s a tacit understanding between Bommai and the native Congress management and this could be the important thing issue to win the polls. While Bommai is touring different constituencies, his spouse Chennamma and son Bharath are campaigning on his behalf. When requested concerning the tacit understanding with the Congress, Bharat instructed IANS, “There is no such thing. This is a laughable question. We are fighting against each other and my father has been very popular in the constituency even before he was Chief Minister and he is popular among local people even now. So there is no doubt and he is winning the seat easily with a higher margin.”
In the 2018 meeting elections Bommai defeated Syed Azeempur Khadri by a margin of 8765 votes with Bommai receiving 83,368 votes, and Khadri 74,603 votes. The JD(S) candidate Ashok Bevinamar acquired 1353 votes. An unbiased candidate, Somanna garnered 7203 votes. In this election the Congress has a contemporary face in Pathan Yasir Ahmad Khan whereas JD(S) candidate Shashidhar Yeligar may be very standard within the constituency.Â
The solely benefit Bommai has and he’s campaigning extensively on it’s that he’ll once more be the Chief Minister, if the BJP comes again to energy. If this strikes resonance with the voters, Bommai will romp house with a superb majority. However, the Muslim vote financial institution and the cut up within the Lingayat votes will be the undoing of Bommai.
Another issue that’s worrying the Bommai camp is the narrative that the Congress has woven round Jagadish Shettar. There is a sense among the many Lingayat neighborhood that Bommai has performed second fiddle to the Brahmin foyer within the BJP comprising BL Santosh and Pralhad Joshi to oust Shettar from the occasion. If this recoils, then the state of affairs will turn out to be worse for Bommai.
