Despite Uttara Kannada constituency being the historical stronghold of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), it seems to be facing a significant challenges from the Congress while dealing with an ongoing internal strife.
Representing the constituency since 2004, the BJP in March replaced long-time incumbent Anantkumar Hegde with Vishveshwar Hegde Kageri, the former speaker of Karnataka assembly from the Uttara Kannada seat. This decision marked a departure from tradition, as Anantkumar had held the seat for six consecutive terms. Kageri, a six-time MLA from the Yallapur assembly, finds himself heavily reliant on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s backing.
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Meanwhile, Kageri faces formidable challenges not only from the Congress’s assertive campaign promises during the Lok Sabha elections but also from within his own party. The internal dissent, which is exemplified by MP Hegde’s lack of support and Arabail Shivaram Hebbar, an MLA representing Yallapur segment, openly supporting Congress, poses a significant hurdle. In April, Hebbar’s son Vivek Hebbar joined the Congress along with his supporters at Banavasi in the district.
Despite these obstacles, Kageri remains optimistic, citing Modi’s personal appeal as a decisive factor in his favour. “Despite having such adverse issues, I’m confident of retaining the seat only with PM Modi as he himself is a guarantee for the people,” he said.
While acknowledging the difficulties that the BJP candidate faces in the constituency, Karwar district party president NS Hegde maintained that the party is garnering positive responses during public engagements. “Due to some personal issues, Hegde is not coming for the campaign, but his supporters doing their party work alike in previous elections,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Congress, buoyed by victories in five out of eight assembly segments, presents a formidable challenge to the BJP. Congress won the first polls in 1952, lost in 1996, and won again in 1999. However, since 2004, it has not won a single election. Anjali Nimalkar, a former Congress MLA from the Khanapur segment, is leading the charge against Kageri during this Lok Sabha elections.
“My groundwork and the party’s guarantees will definitely work in my favour,” Anjali said, adding that people are expecting a change as the BJP candidate who represented them for 28 years was neither available to them nor did any developmental works in the constituency.
She further said: “Though Uttara Kannada is a naturally rich constituency with sea and thick forest but it is being counted as one of the most undeveloped constituency. One of the flyover projects undertaken in 2010 remained incomplete. This shows the current state of affairs.”
According to locals, the main problems plaguing the constituency include delay in getting land rights certificates to people whose lands were acquired by the government to regularise them in 1970s and 80s. Though the lands were returned to the villagers, land ownership certificate is yet to be given to the owners. They further said that their area lack healthcare facilities and even higher educational institutions.
The locals have complained that despite contributing their land for projects like the Kaiga Atomic Energy Plant and Naval base, the residents have not benefited from job opportunities in these ventures. Additionally, there’s a pressing need to address the lack of job opportunities in the constituency to prevent the educated population from migrating to other cities. Besides, the halted Hubbali-Ankola railway project has yet to be restarted, further exacerbating the region’s connectivity woes.
Gurunath Harikanth (52), a fisherman, said that people wanted a change this time as the constituency is reeling under shortage of many basic requirements.
“Trusting Modi, we voted for Hegde, but now we are repenting as he never met us and only came out during elections,” he said.
In response to the locals’ allegations, BJP district president NS Hegde said that though Anantkumar has not met people, he has undertaken all the basic developmental works, and in his place, party workers have been in touch with the people. “Due to some issues, as per medical advice, he preferred to stay at home,” he added.
