Bengaluru: With six children of Karnataka Ministers in the Lok Sabha poll arena, the campaign scene is getting spiced up in the high-stakes elections for the ruling Congress in the state. Prabha Mallikarjun, wife of Minister S S Mallikarjun, is also in the poll fray.
The grand old party tried its best to make several ministers enter the Lok Sabha election fray but none of them agreed and, instead, they proposed the candidature of their family members.
'Now, deliver' is the stern message of the Congress leadership to the ministers, putting the onus on them to ensure the victory of their kin, according to party sources.
The Congress secured only one seat in Karnataka in the 2019 general elections, and has now set an ambitious target of winning in 15 to 20 constituencies in the coming polls.
Elections in 28 constituencies in the State will be held in two phases on April 26 and May 7.
Sons of Laxmi Hebbalkar, Eshwar Khandre and H C Mahadevappa— Mrinal Ravindra Hebbalkar, Sagar Khandre and Sunil Bose— have been fielded from Belagavi (Belgaum), Bidar and Chamarajanagar, respectively.
Daughters of Satish Jarkiholi, Shivanand Patil and Ramalinga Reddy— Priyanka Jarkiholi, Samyukta Patil and Sowmya Reddy— are in contention in Chikkodi, Bagalkot and Bangalore South respectively.
Prabha Mallikarjun, wife of Minister S S Mallikarjun and daughter-in-law of veteran party leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa, is the party's nominee from Davangere.
"In this 'do or die' situation, the ministers have found the Lok Sabha election a launch pad for their children and relatives. We have to see how these ministers succeed in their mission," a Congress insider said.
Barring Sowmya Reddy, who is a former MLA, none of them have any legislative experience in elections. Stakes are high for some other ministers as well.
The party has fielded Radhakrishna Doddamani, son-in-law of Congress President M Mallikarjun Kharge in the family's home turf of Kalaburagi (Gulbarga), a seat held by the BJP.
Kharge's son and Minister Priyank Kharge has taken charge of spearheading the campaign in this segment, where his father had lost in the 2019 general elections.
"Priyank has taken this election as a prestige issue given the fact that the Congress president hails from here and had represented this constituency in the past in the Lok Sabha," a Congress leader said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had last month launched the BJP's formal campaign in Kalaburagi in what was seen as an aggressive message to the Congress.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress chief D K Shivakumar's brother D K Suresh is seeking reelection in Bangalore Rural, where the BJP and JD(S) have fielded noted cardiologist and son-in-law of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda.
The Congress which came to power in the state in May last year is seeking to ride on its five guarantee schemes of the government.
Sowmya Reddy, who is contesting from Bangalore South asked the women voters during a recent roadshow - "Do you travel in the buses? Which places have you visited in the recent past? Do you pay or travel for free?".
She was referring to 'Shakti' guarantee that offers free rides to Karnataka women in non-luxury government buses within the state. Reddy explained to the people about the four other guarantees— 'Gruha Lakshmi', 'Gruha Jyoti', 'Yuva Nidhi' and 'Anna Bhagya'.
"Who brought 'Achchhe Din'? Is it Congress or the BJP? Which 'Achchhe Din' you will vote for?" Reddy asked the women voters.
In Belagavi, Mrinal Ravindra Hebbalkar, is taking on BJP candidate and former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar.
In campaign meetings, Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar reminded the crowd how Shettar had joined Congress when the BJP denied him a ticket in the 2023 Assembly election, only to return to the saffron party a few months later.
"Shettar is from Hubballi and we are from Belagavi. We know the problems prevailing here better than any 'outsider'. Today, BJP people are saying that they vote for Shettar keeping Prime Minister Narendra Modi in mind, but I want to know why he joined Congress and abused the BJP, Modi and former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa," the minister asked.
The BJP swept the 2019 general elections in Karnataka winning 25 out of the 28 seats, while an independent backed by the party also won. The Congress and JD(S) which fought the elections together, secured one seat each.
Comments
Cheering PAK against india is wrong. But Anyone can celebrate any team. There is no law.
@milan u sound like, terrorism is wrong, but anyone can be terrorists. there is no law. :P
shame on jihadist muslims who back stab our motherland , shameless beggars .kick them out of india or hack them .
How cheering for Pakistan Cricket Team is wrong? Can we then support England team when the British had ruled and looted India for 200 years? There are numerous England supporters in India but no one is against them! Can we support France in football when French had looted and invaded India? Why do Indians support Brazil or France or Germany in FIFA when Indian team is not playing in it? Indians only need to support Kabbadi instead... Come on guys, just keep aside your enemity atleast in sports.. Support whichever team you like..
They should not have celebrated Pak win openly...if at their home does not matter but not openly....their soldiers are killing our innocent soldiers....
Cheering for a team of enemy country, Celebrating the victory of enemy country against our own country is not at all justified. We all Indians should be ONE against such country in any activity. There is hard feeling or soft feeling PERIOD.
Are we going to celebrate victory of Bangladesh against India??? No one does that. Then, why Pakistan???
Some fools are celebrating pakistan victory and saffron b.fools are exaggerating it for political mileage
Its proved many times who z bloody anti nationalists , when rama sena hoisted pakistan flag in Sindagi, Mutalik gang s bomb blast in hubballi court , ABVP s Pakistan zindabad @ JNU and now one more allegation, grow up sangis this style bcom old
Soon after the match many of Indian team players wholeheartedly congratulated Pakistani team and shook hands with them. Are Indian team players also anti-nationals? Do they also face sedition case?
Good point Rajan Shetty. Keep commenting. Silence of nationalists will encourage anti-nationals.
These gandutva guys have a very little heart
Whole cricket team of india should be in jail including gavaskar and gambhir . They congratulated Pakistan and praised them...
Actually the fact is ...this is the result of Media propaganda by RSS since many years ......................they were taunting Muslim youths telling Pakistan which they have no connection and bond is real friend......then simply youths started to anger the Saffronists by supporting pakistan verbally ....but some youth still using the same tactic to anger RSS ...but Rss a anti national organization uses the same to polarize ...unlike RAMA SENE which hoisted Pakistan Flag in Sindhagi ...is out of the talk now ????????????
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