Kalaburgi, Apr 20: Congress stalwart and the Party’s leader in the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjuna Kharge, who never saw any electoral debacle in his 55 year political career, is now facing a tough task against Umesh Jadhav of the BJP in the Kalaburgi Lok Sabha Lok Sabha seat in Karnataka for which the polls will held on April 23.
The veteran leader, banking on his achievements as a minister both at the Center as well as the State. He had also served as the opposition leader in the state.
He is seeking third successive term to the Lok Sabha.
Due to candidature of Mr Kharge the segment in backward Hyderabad-Karnataka region has attracted national attention. Prominent leaders from both Congress as well as from the BJP had campaigned for their candidates. This included Prime Minister Narendra Modi, AICC president Rahul Gandhi, Chief ministers of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, cine actor Vijaya Shanthi, and others.
Speaking to UNI Kharge said that he is not perturbed by the campaigning of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, or any other national BJP leaders.
Stating that people of the district are well aware about his contribution for the upliftment of the people of the region, including that of his struggle to ensure special status to the Hyderabad-Karnataka region, under article 371(J) of the Constitution, besides bringing new projects like development of state and national highways , major Railway projects as well as Air network to the district, as well as new irrigation facilities.
Maintaining that the Opposition BJP had no good candidate and had lured Congress MLA Jadhav to resign to the seat and fielded him as its candidate. “This itself exhibits the political bankruptcy of the BJP”.
“In his (Kharge) nearly five decades of political Kharge had contributed his might for the development of the district, and had won the love and affection of the people of the district, irrespective caste, creed or gender”, Arun Kumar Oza, a former Kalaburgi Corporator told media.
Expressing confidence that whatever the BJP leaders, make loud voice, the people of the Kalaburgi district, will not let down the leaders like Kharge.
“People of the district can ill afford to lose such a formidable leader as it took more than four decades to witness such a personality” he said.
However the the BJP candidate Jadhav said he is banking on the strong support of the community votes, including that of Lambani, Lingayaths, Valmiki, and other Upper caste votes.
Refuting the claims by Mr Kharge about the development works in the region, he said that the Congress leader’s contribution for the overall development of the district is only a minimal.
“People of the district do not want the politics in the district and the region as to remain stagnant and hence want bring in a change this time” he said.
Basavaraj, a political analyst in Kalaburgi district, speaking to UNI said that unlike other elections, the Congress candidate is facing a formidable fight from the BJP candidate, who is merely depending on caste and community calculations.
“If the caste calculations works out then the Congress leader, Kharge will be in red zone. However the congress leader during his five decades has grown beyond caste, creed and religion barrier and it should come to his rescue this time”.
Among the eight assembly segments while the Congress had won four seats, followed by three from the BJP and the remaining form the JD(S).
The Kalaburagi district, which had produced two chief ministers, including Veerendra Patil and Dharam Singh, is one of the most backward districts in the state, despite major rivers like Krishna, Bhima, Bennetore and other smaller one flows down here.
While several agro based industries, have been closed down, the problems of Agriculturists remains the same, and the occurrence of drought conditions was a routine, the Kalaburagi Lok Sabha constituency, which was once the seat of Rashtrakutas, Kalyana Chalukyas and Bahamani Sultans, and also the land of Sufis and Saints.
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