Arrest puts Vinay Kulkarni’s political career at crossroads

HUBBALLI:  Call it a political conspiracy or due process of law, Congress leader Vinay Kulkarni, arrested in the BJP leader Yogishgouda Goudar’s murder case, is now at the crossroads of his political career. His 
alleged link to the case has already cost him two elections and now he faces an uncertain future.Yogish was being projected as a political opponent of Vinay in the Dharwad assembly segment and both were at loggerheads over several issues concerning the constituency.

This political enmity was later projected as personal rivalry after Yogish was hacked to death. Since it was found rewarding for the saffron party, top leaders in the district used it quite strategically to cut Vinay to size politically.While BJP leaders were attacking him over the issue, Vinay played the Lingayat card leading the separate religion status movement.

But an effective campaign by the BJP succeeded in convincing the public that Vinay was taking the cover of caste to hide his alleged links with the killing of another Lingayat leader. A video of his alleged manhandling of a doctor at KIMS Hospital had gone viral embarrassing the party. The BJP got a tough candidate in Amrut Desai, who was earlier with JD(S), to fight against Vinay in the 2018 Assembly polls. Vinay’s alleged link with Yogish’s murder had been turned into a main poll issue. 

While the party again asked Vinay to contest the 2019 general election at the behest of Siddaramaiah to take on Pralhad Joshi, the demand for a CBI probe on Yogishgouda’s murder was at the peak as the Dharwad bench of High Court had just dismissed a plea filed by Gurunathgouda, slain BJP leader’s brother. The BJP leaders promised a probe by the Central agency if the party came to power.

In the election, Vinay tasted another bitter defeat as he was trounced by over two lakh votes by Joshi despite him playing the Lingayat card forcefully. Following the setback, Vinay went into political wilderness. His name resurfaced a few weeks back, while speculation was rife over his joining the BJP to save his skin from the investigation. District Congress leaders showed solidarity with him by expressing anguish over his arrest, but Vinay never enjoyed good relations with them.