The Uttara Kannada Lok Sabha constituency, one of the 28 parliamentary constituencies in Karnataka, falls under the General category. It encompasses part of Belgaum district and the entire Uttara Kannada district. Presently, it consists of eight Legislative Assembly segments: Khanapur and Kittur in Belgaum district, and Haliyal, Karwar, Kumta, Bhatkal, Sirsi, and Yellapur in the coastal district of Uttara Kannada. Voting for the Uttara Kannada Lok Sabha seat will take place on May 7 in the third phase of General Election 2024. The counting of votes will take place on June 4.
2019 Result and 2024 Candidates
Anantkumar Hegde of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had won the 2019 Lok Sabha election from the Uttara Kannada seat. He has been the MP of Uttara Kannada since 2004.
The candidates for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Uttara Kannada are Visheshwar Hegde Kageri of the BJP and Dr Anjali Nimbalkar of the Congress.
Political Dynamics
It’s a tight two-way contest between the BJP and the Congress in this BJP bastion, led for four consecutive terms by Anantkumar Hegde, who has been snubbed this season.
Where BJP Stands
The BJP, which secured victory in 25 out of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka during the 2019 elections, has opted not to field the prominent figure of Hindutva in the state, sitting MP Anantkumar Hegde, who won the seat in 2019 with a margin of 4.79 lakh votes amidst a sweeping Modi wave.
Hegde, a former union minister and six-time MP representing Uttara Kannada, was excluded from the party’s lineup after he sparked a controversy with a statement alleging that the BJP seeks to ‘change the constitution’.
Moreover, his record as an MP has been questioned owing to his alleged lack of focus in the region’s development, its issues and his failure to make a mark in parliament. In fact, a study has found that Hegde is only one of 9 MPs in the country who did not speak a word in the Lok Sabha in the last five years.
Visheshwar Hegde Kageri
Shunting the sitting MP, the BJP has fielded Visheshwar Hegde Kageri, who is a former assembly speaker and six-time MLA from Sirsi which falls under the Uttara Kannada Lok Sabha seat. Kageri, also from the Brahmin community and known as a soft-spoken and moderate grassroots leader, is a well-known face in the constituency, however, he is no match for the firebrand orator Anantkumar Hegde, and lacks die-hard following, which is a noticeable drawback for the BJP this election season. In 2023, Kageri lost from Sirsi to Congress’ Bhimanna Nail by over 8700 votes.
Modi Factor
The Modi factor, though not as pronounced as 2019, is prevalent here. The focus of voters is not on the candidate but on PM Modi. The Modi government’s delivery welfare schemes such as the Awas Yojana, Kisan Samman Nidhi and Ayushman Bharat are some examples.
Moreover, the seat is traditionally known to resonate with national Hindutva issues giving way to events that transcend caste divides. The Ram Mandir movement has resonated with voters for decades, and the newly-inaugurated temple in Ayodhya holds tremendous emotive value in the hearts of most Hindu voters.
However, much of this is dampened with the dropping of the sitting MP and the Congress’ own soft-Hindutva push at the local level.
Other Factors
In the 2023 elections, the BJP scored 44% of the vote, a 4% higher vote share than the Congress, in Uttara Kannada. This is a favourable indication, especially with BJP in alliance with the JD(S), which scored 9.5% of the vote.
The JD(S) is a minor player in the region, but it holds the potential to bolster the alliance by a few percentage points, which is crucial in this tightly contested electoral battle.
Caste factors are also at play here. The dominant Maratha caste in Uttara Kannada, comprising over 2.2 lakh votes, is expected to split between the BJP and the Congress.
The Ediga community which roughly comprises roughly 2 lakh votes, is expected to only partially support the BJP. Additionally, much of the Brahmin (1.6 lakh voters) and Halakki Gouda (1.10 lakh) community will lean towards the BJP.
The constituency also has a sizeable Lingayat vote bank at around 1 lakh, which the BJP expects a significant chunk of votes from.
The fishermen’s community form about 80,000 voters in the seat, and they lean largely towards the BJP owing to a slew of welfare measures in their favour.
Where Congress Stands
The Congress has fielded Dr Anjali Nimbalkar, who comes from the Maratha community. Nimbalkar, a seasoned leader and spokesperson for the Indian National Congress, served as the representative for Khanapur in Belgaum district at the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from 2018 to 2023.
Nimbalkar, a medical professional by occupation, stands out as one of the most highly educated MLAs in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, holding a Master’s degree in Gynaecology and Laparoscopy.
Nimbalkar made her electoral debut in the Khanapur assembly seat which she won by a margin of nearly 6,000 votes.
In the 2023 assembly elections, however, Nimbalkar was defeated at the hands of Vithal Halagekar of the BJP by a staggering margin of 53,000 votes.
While she has been focusing on soft-Hindutva, Nimbalkar’s freak election loss, her “outsider” status, and ideological differences in her family are drawbacks in her campaign efforts.
BJP Alleges “Conflict of Interest”
The BJP has opened up a front against her, on the grounds that her highly influential IPS husband may wield his powers to favour her election.
In a written communication to the Election Commission last month, the BJP urged for Nimbalkar to be relieved from all election-related responsibilities, citing concerns of a conflict of interest.
Currently serving as the commissioner of the Department of Information and Public Relations, Nimbalkar assumed this position following the formation of the Congress government in Karnataka. As a highly influential IPS officer, his association with a candidate could potentially sway other IPS officers and law enforcement personnel deployed for election duties.
Factors in Favour
Religious minorities such as Christians and Muslims form roughly around 3 lakh votes, and are expected to lean towards the Congress.
Moreover, Nimbalkar is expected to compete for a major chunk of Maratha, Ediga and SC votes, which could play a deciding role in the election.
The Congress’ five MLAs from the constituency are also expected to bolster her position.
And most importantly the state government, currently under Congress CM Siddaramaiah, is a major strongpoint for Nimbalkar. The party’s “Five Guarantees” in the state have turned the political tide significantly and countered the central government’s welfare push with its own schemes dedicated towards helping combat inflation, delivering free electricity up to 200 units per month, free bus rides for women, stipends for unemployed youth and free ration.
These schemes, despite concerns that they engross the state in debt, have been implemented rapidly and will have an impact on polling day.
Key Issues
BJP vs Congress on Welfare Schemes
The BJP alleges that the Congress, with its five guarantees, has disturbed the fiscal stability of the state of Karnataka. Recently, Basavaraj Bommai, former Chief Minister of Karnataka and BJP candidate for the Gadag-Haveri Lok Sabha constituency, launched a blistering critique against the Congress government’s fiscal management, alleging that it is driving the state towards bankruptcy. The BJP also accuses the Congress government of discontinuing the Kisan Samman Nidhi and Vidya Nidhi schemes.
Hindutva
Saffron dominates Uttar Kannada this election season and both the BJP and the Congress are responsible for this. To match the hype around Ram Mandir and the saffron effect of the BJP in the constituency, Congress candidate Nimbalkar is engaged in Hindutva politics of her own. Her nomination rally was brimming with saffron flags and Hindutva symbols, including her own outfit which comprised a saffron sari and headgear. While the Muslim community sees this as their votes being taken for granted, the Congress is assured that there will be no repercussions on that front. Meanwhile, BJP leader Kedar Kolle has quipped that Nimbalkar has “taken the colour on lease” from the saffron party until elections are over.
Communal Tensions
Uttara Kannada is susceptible to communal tensions between Muslims and Hindus. There has been a rise in Islamist groups here. Bhatkal in particular, is an area with a large Muslim population. Despite having a population of fewer than 150,000 people, Bhatkal in the Uttara Kannada district hosts units from every intelligence agency, whether state or central. The town’s name itself holds significant weight, particularly beyond Karnataka, evoking memories of Yasin and Riyaz Bhatkal, notorious masterminds behind numerous terror attacks in the country. Matters got heated between the two communities when RSS activist and popular doctor DU Chittaranjan was assassinated in his house in 1996.
Fishermen’s Issues
Fishermen form about 80,000 voters in the seat, and they lean largely towards the BJP owing to a slew of welfare measures in their favour. Among fishermen, compensation has been a longstanding concern. Previously, if a death occurred during fishing, the family received Rs 6 lakh as compensation. However, this amount was increased to Rs 10 lakh, with Rs 5 lakh provided by the Centre and Rs 5 lakh by the State under the BJP government.
Additionally, there is a call for the government to prohibit light fishing, as it disproportionately affects small fishers. There is also a demand for the development of a major port in Belekeri to create employment opportunities for the local fishing community. The formation of a separate Fishery Ministry has brought benefits to the community, with the BJP’s introduction of the PM Matsya Sampada Yojana being the first-ever scheme for the welfare of fishermen and the fisheries sector.
Airport Project
The Karwar Airport project resulted in land loss for farmers, prompting the state government to offer compensation of five gunta of land to each affected farmer. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in October oversaw a meeting in Bengaluru to review the project’s advancement, focusing on land acquisition and infrastructure development for the airport, situated around 90 kilometres from Bhatkal.
Farmers’ Issues
Farmers in Uttar Kannada are dealing with an acute water crisis which peaks during the hot summers. Funds to improve their farming revenues are diverted towards building bore wells to seek water for irrigation. During droughts, these borewells start drying out as well which causes tremendous devastation to farmers who are already debt ridden. Owing to this problem, farmer suicides are reported far too often here.
Untapped Tourism Potential
Uttar Kannada has untapped tourism potential, owing to its beaches such as the Om Beach in Gokarna, geological sites like Gogarbha cave, Yana Rocks, and historical places like Mirjan fort built during the Vijayanagara Empire, Murudeshwar town and lots more. Moreover, religious tourism is also a major possibility. Home to the African-origin Siddi tribe which has a rich culture of its own, Uttar Kannada has a plethora of reasons why investment in promoting and facilitating tourism would pay off.
NH 66 Delayed
The construction of the four-lane National Highway 66, which began over a decade ago, still remains unfinished, posing considerable challenges for the locals in Uttara Kannada’s Bhatkal. Despite numerous pleas, both the Highway Development Authority and district administration, along with elected representatives, have chosen not to address the issue.
Infrastructural Development
Coastal Development
During the presentation of the 2024-25 Budget, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced an allocation of ₹3,000 crore for the comprehensive development of the fisheries sector. Additionally, he reaffirmed plans to construct all-weather ports at Keni and Pavinakurve in Uttara Kannada district. A significant highlight was the introduction of Karnataka’s first sea ambulance along the coast.
Highways
The Centre has allocated a package of Rs 6,975 crore for highway projects across eight districts of North Karnataka, including Belagavi, Vijayapur, Bagalkote, Uttara Kannada, Koppal, Raichur, Kalaburagi, and Bidar.
NH 66
National Highway 66, formerly NH-17 and part of NH-47, is a busy four-lane, 1640 km (1020 miles) long road along India’s western coast. It connects Panvel to Cape Comorin, passing through Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. In Karnataka, it is undergoing a major overhaul and being upgraded to a 60-meter-wide highway with grade separators, expanding from Karwar to Talapady to accommodate future growth.
NH 52
Highway 52 commences at the intersection of National Highway 66 (previously NH-17) in Ankola, extends through the Arebail Ghat of the Western Ghats, and proceeds to Yellapura before reaching the city of Hubballi (Hubli). The road has been widened and extended in many sections.
Karwar Airport
The Indian Navy is currently building an airport at the Seabird naval base, situated 5 km away from Ankola. The Karnataka government is considering collaborating with the Navy to designate a portion of the airport for civilian use. To facilitate this, 97.10 acres of land are undergoing acquisition procedures. However, the extension of the runway is still pending.
Vande Bharat
Two Vande Bharat trains have been committed connecting Belgaum to Pune and to Bangalore. People are awaiting the commencement of these services with great anticipation. Additionally, the Mangalore-Goa Vande Bharat also has a stop in Karwar.
Voter Demographics (2011 Census)
The total number of voters in Uttara Kannada as per the 2019 data is 15,52,483 of which urban voters are 23.6% and rural voters are 76.4%. The literacy rate in the constituency is at 72.43%.
While the constituency has 7.8% SC voters, there are 3.7% ST voters. Meanwhile, 71% are Hindu voters, 12.8% Muslims, 1.5% Christians and 1.12% Jains.
Check Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Schedule, Key Candidates And Constituencies At News18 Website.
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