Kalaburagi Lok Sabha seat: Without Kharig this time, can BJP MP Jadhav overcome anti-incumbency challenge? | Parami News

Kalaburagi Lok Sabha constituency in Karnataka consists of eight constituencies: Afzalpur, Jewargi, Gurmitkal, Chittapur (SC), Sedam, Gulbarga Rural (SC), Gulbarga Dakshin and Gulbarga Uttar. This is a parliamentary seat for the scheduled caste category.

For years, it was considered a Congress bastion, but the political arithmetic changed after the party’s veteran leader M Mallikarjun Kharge lost this seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. This time, Kalaburagi or Gulbarga is again in the spotlight as it is not Congress president Kharge but his son-in-law Radhakrishi who is involved in the fray Radhakrishna Doddamani. He will contest against sitting BJP MP Umesh G Jadhav.

Voting will be held here on May 7 in the third phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

voting factors

1. The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress are the major parties in the constituency. Other potential contenders include the Janata Dal (Secular Party), Aam Aadmi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party, but their influence is minimal.
2. Kalaburagi seat has been a Congress stronghold for many years and the party has won 14 out of 17 elections since its inception. This dominance can be attributed to several factors, including the party’s strong organizational presence at the grassroots and its ability to effectively mobilize its core support base, particularly in rural communities.
3. It is also the home constituency of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, although the candidate this time is his son-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani.
4. Umesh G Jadhav of the Bharatiya Janata Party is the sitting MP and has been re-elected. In recent years, the Congress party has faced increasing challenges in contesting seats. The BJP achieved major victories in 1998 and 2019. Congress can no longer take its traditional base of support for granted.
5. The quality of individual candidates and their ability to connect with voters can affect the outcome of an election. In 2019, Umesh Jadhav defeated Mallikarjun Kharge. However, things have changed since then, with Haq being elected Congress party president and he is no longer in the running.
6. Reports from the ground suggest that there is currently a lot of opposition against Jadhav as he has failed to deliver on some of his promises. Information suggests that Jadhav will have a tough time if Haggar himself fights again. However, observers say he may now have a chance.
7. Currently, Kalaburagi district is dominated by the Kharg and Jadhav families. No other leader is likely to shape the political landscape in the near future.
8. Caste and community dynamics play an important role in Gulbarga. The constituency has a large Scheduled Caste (SC) population and has historically been an important support base for the Congress party. However, the BJP struggled to woo SC voters in the recent elections.
9. The politics between upper castes and Dalits is undoubtedly shaping the political landscape. The Koli Samaj (Dalit community) has 15% of the votes, or 300,000 voters. Their demands to be included in the list of timetable tribes have yet to bear fruit.
10. The constituency has a large Muslim population and could sway votes in Congress. Ladle Dargah and Kote Shivalinga are at the heart of Kalaburagi’s long-standing communal issues. It is characterized by recurring conflicts. Incidents include a flag removal dispute in 2019 and stone-pelting in 2022 at a religious procession led by union minister Bhagwanth Khuba. Tensions have arisen over the rights of religious rituals at these venues, and a number of cases have been filed. Given this scenario, issues such as the consecration of the Ayodhya Ram temple and the Jawapi Masjid dispute have found some resonance among voters.

Voter Demographics

• Population: 1,945,291 (as of 2019 Lok Sabha elections)
• Rural: 1,250,822 voters (64.3%)
• City: 694,469 voters (35.7%)
• Scheduled Castes (SC): 466,870 voters (24%)
• Scheduled Tribes (ST): 58,359 voters (3%)
• Hindu: 76.97%
• Muslims: 22.3%

Main constituency issues

1. Except for a few cement industries, Kalaburagi district is mainly based on agriculture. The level of industrialization in the region is lagging behind. Although Kalaburagi has large amounts of land available for farming, poverty rates are high.
2. According to ground reports, low agricultural productivity is caused by drought, poor soil quality and lack of irrigation. Farmers rely heavily on rain-fed agriculture, which is vulnerable to climate change.
3. Farmers also face lack of access to credit and other financial services. Infrastructure like transport and storage facilities for agricultural produce and exploitation by middlemen and moneylenders is another issue.
4. Due to the lack of employment opportunities in rural areas, migration of people from rural to urban areas is a common phenomenon in Kalaburagi in search of better economic opportunities. Immigration and the consequent loss of population and skilled workers are key issues for voters.
5. Kalaburagi is located in a drought-prone region of India. Droughts are common in the region and can have devastating effects on local economies and populations. According to reports, as many as 315 villages in the drought-affected Kalaburagi district may face drinking water shortages during the peak summer season. Farmers have been demanding that Kalaburagi be declared a drought zone.
6. Kalaburagi’s economy is not developed, accounting for only 2.3% of the state’s GDP. The top products of the region are cement, dal and footwear. Jewargi has a food park and eight major cement companies have factories in the area. But beyond that, employment opportunities are limited.
7. National factors and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity may also influence the outcome of the Lok Sabha polls. The Congress can also count on the Haji factor and Rahul Gandhi remains a popular leader.
8. In fact, Rahul during the last assembly elections had promised Rs 1 crore to each panchayat and a Rs 5,000-crore package for the Kalyana Karnataka region, including Kalaburagi. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has moved the motion in the state Assembly. This could have an impact on voters.
9. The five safeguard schemes implemented by the state government are also expected to have a significant impact on Kalaburagi voters, especially women voters.

infrastructure

Kalaburagi Airport: Gulbarga airport was scheduled to start operations in the second half of 2012, but was delayed due to financial disputes. The former BS Yediyurappa government was credited with the inauguration of Gulbarga Airport in 2019. However, the number of flights departing from this airport is very low.

Irrigation project: Kalaburagi has several irrigation projects including the Upper Krishna Project and the Bhima Lift Irrigation Project. These projects increase agricultural water use, thereby increasing crop yields and increasing farmer incomes.

National Highway 150: The central government has constructed a new national highway (NH 150) to connect Kalaburagi to other major cities in the region. This improved transportation and trade.

Railway: The Center has also constructed a new railway line connecting Kalaburagi to Bidar and other parts of the country.

Solar power plant: The GKC-Gulbarga Solar Photovoltaic Park is a 10MW solar photovoltaic power generation project that helps reduce the constituency’s dependence on fossil fuel power generation. Indian Oil Corporation and National Thermal Power Corporation are also reportedly planning to build an additional 500 MW park. With Karnataka facing a power shortage of 1,500 MW, Kalaburagi has the potential to become a large power producer.

Textile Park: According to local reports, a large textile park will be built in the area and is expected to create jobs for 150,000 to 200,000 people. But work on this has not yet begun. The project is seen as a major potential boost to the local economy, but its delays have frustrated many in Kalaburagi.

Check out the 2024 Lok Sabha election third phase schedule, main candidates and constituencies: news18 website.