With Congress opting out, BJP eyes inroads into Mandya and Ramanagara

BENGALURU: The pact between the Congress and the JD(S) in the forthcoming bypolls to the Mandya Lok Sabha and Ramanagara assembly constituencies has come as a godsend for the opposition BJP. It offers the saffron party a rare opportunity to make inroads into the Vokkaliga heartland, a bastion of the ruling parties in the state.
The BJP, led by B S Yeddyurappa, has been shrewd in announcing an influential local leader — former KAS officer Siddaramaiah aka Siddaramappa — as the party’s candidate for the Mandya Lok Sabha poll.The obvious aim is to penetrate the Congress-JD(S) bastion. Incidentally, the BJP chief also hails from Bookanakere in Mandya.
Senior BJP leaders strongly believe the direct contest with the JD(S) in Mandya and Ramanagara will help the party consolidate Congress votes and reap electoral dividends in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.
“Ever since its inception in Karnataka, BJP has never succeeded in making inroads in the Vokkaliga heartland,” said Ramesh Babu, a senior JD(S) leader. “With the ‘cooperative movement’, Congress and JD(S) have always retained complete hold on the masses across Mandya, Ramanagara, Hassan and Mysuru barring a few city constituencies. This time they won’t succeed.”
Of the two coalition partners, the Congress is far more worried about the possible ramifications of the pact and is drawing up a strategy to counter it effectively.
“Should the BJP make its presence felt in Mandya and Ramanagara, it would do more harm to the Congress than the JD(S),” a senior Congress leader admitted. “The JD(S), with the support of Congress, is expected win hands down in the two bypolls, but it would damage the Congress vote bank.”
The Congress has won 12 elections from the Mandya Lok Sabha seat since 1951 and JD(S) has won the Ramanagara assembly seat consecutively since 2004. Former Union minister S M Krishna and former Mandya MP and actor M H Ambareesh had helped strengthen the Congress base in Mandya. Ramya (Divya Spandana), head of the All India Congress Committee Social Media Cell, also won the constituency in 2013.
The Congress is now struggling to re-establish the supremacy it enjoyed over Mandya district since Krishna joined the BJP and Ambareesh distanced himself from district politics for different reasons. The results of the recent assembly election — the JD(S) secured all eight assembly seats under Mandya Lok Sabha constituency — is evidence of Congress’ regression.
Though the saffron party is still far from being a major opponent, party sources insist it is bound to make a mark with its organisational strength and presence throughout the district.
C Shivanna, a local BJP leader, said though the district is being branded as the Vokkaliga heartland, Vokkaligas command only around 35% of votes in Mandya. Kurubas (10%), Scheduled Class, Scheduled Tribes (23%) Lingayats-Veerashaivas (4%) Other Backward Classes (OBC) (10%) and the minority community (5%) will decide the fate of candidates.
“With the Congress out, BJP can expect SC-ST, Kurubas, Lingayats and OBC voters to root for the party,” Shivanna said.