The second and last phase of Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka, that covered the state’s Lingayat heartland, concluded with the 14 parliamentary constituencies reporting a voter turnout of 70.41%, according to the data released by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on the Voter Turnout app at 12 am.
In the previous 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured victories across all 14 seats now in focus, defeating the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) coalition that then governed the state. However, having scored a thumping victory in the assembly elections last year, in this region, the Congress now appears determined to put up a strong show.
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The highest voter turnout in this phase was recorded in the Chikkodi seat (76.99%). In the Davangere seat (which recorded a turnout of 76.23%), it was an electoral battle between two political families of former minister and Lingayat leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa and incumbent MP GM Siddeshwar.
However, this time their wives assumed the forefront. Instead of Siddeshwar, who served as a minister under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP has nominated Gayatri Siddeshwar, his wife, as their candidate. Challenging her is Prabha Mallikarjun, wife of district in-charge Minister Mallikarjun.
The second highest voter turnout was reported in Haveri, at 76.78%. In Shimoga seat (which recorded a turnout of 76.05%), former chief minister BS Yediyurappa’s son, BY Raghavendra, is contesting. Suspended BJP leader KS Eshwarappa and a member of Rajkumar family, Usha Shivakumar, are contesting against him.
While the majority of the election proceedings remained peaceful, a few incidents of violence and controversy were reported. In Yaragatti, tensions flared at a polling station on Tuesday when clashes erupted between workers from the Congress and BJP. The altercation, involving approximately 50 individuals from both parties, resulted in injuries to Hanumantappa Bhimappa Arabhavi, a 48-year-old Congress polling station agent.
Meanwhile, a polling centre in Manvi taluk, Raichur district, was embroiled in controversy over religious attire. Initially, several people wearing saffron shawls were denied entry to vote, leading to objections as women wearing black Hijabs were allowed to cast their ballots. Following consultation with higher authorities, the Returning Officer inspected the shawls and after finding no political affiliations, permitted the youths to vote. In response to their demands, the officer requested Hijab-clad women to reveal their faces to party agents and polling officials, attempting to resolve the issue.
Voters in rural areas of Raichur and Koppal districts boycotted voting, citing the government’s failure to address their grievances. In Vittalapur village, residents protested the negligence of Dr Kaveri Shavi, blaming her for the death of a pregnant woman. Despite having 862 voters, polling station No. 142 saw zero turnout till 12 pm due to the boycott.
After police and election staff persuaded voters in Tammapu village in Manvi taluk, the voter turnout reached 5% by 3pm. The reason for the low turnout was migration for jobs and lack of political engagement.
In another instance, Ward No.18 in Tavaragera initially saw zero votes, but after officials’ appeals, 40 votes were cast.
With the elections over, Karnataka now awaits the results as the victory is crucial for both parties. The BJP’s election campaign in north Karnataka has placed significant emphasis on the tragic murder of Neha Hiremath, a Hindu girl allegedly killed by her Muslim classmate in Hubballi. PM Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah, among other high-profile BJP figures, have criticised the Congress during the campaign. The campaign around the murder case gave the BJP a chance to appeal to the Lingayat vote bank in the region and also amplify the communal politics in the region.
In response, the Congress has mounted a strong challenge to the BJP across various constituencies by highlighting the effective implementation of its promised five guarantees, first outlined before the 2023 Assembly elections. This approach has served as a counter-narrative to the BJP’s Hindutva agenda and the perceived “Modi effect,”.
However, the alleged sexual exploitation case involving JD(S) Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna has become a significant focus midway through the campaign. This development has sparked a statewide narrative against the BJP’s alliance with the JD(S), putting both parties on the defensive.
Observers suggest that the case has strategically benefited the Congress by mitigating the potential polarisation of votes in favour of the BJP, particularly following Neha Hiremath’s tragic death.
