Political workers use divine playbook to lure voters in Karnataka

BELAGAVI: The state Assembly polls are at least four months away, but the fever has gripped many constituencies already. Aspirants are invoking Gods and seeking promises from voters, in return for goodies, to be better prepared for the crucial polls.

In Belagavi Rural, followers of sitting MLA Laxmi Hebbalkar are allegedly making voters swear in the name of God to vote for her in the elections. For the promise they make, voters are offered household utensils and blenders. Videos of Hebbalkar’s acolytes seeking the divine vow and offering allurements have gone viral.

This is not the first time that the Belagavi Rural constituency has come into the limelight for wrong reasons. During the previous Assembly elections in 2018, it was in news as Hebbalkar’s followers distributed cookers and gas stoves to voters. Recently, followers of BJP ticket aspirant Sanjay Patil S too gave away tiffin boxes and crockery.

But the method being followed by Hebbalkar at Santi Bastwad, Hire Bagewadi and other villages in the constituency is quite unique. Her followers go door-to-door holding a sacred coconut and turmeric. They ask people to touch the coconut and swear their vote to the sitting MLA. Once done, goodies will flow into the houses of voters.

But the campaign was not all smooth for these political workers as some youth in these villages confronted them. “Voting is our choice. We reserve the right to vote. No proper roads have been built to our areas in the last five years. We don’t want expensive gifts, but expect basic amenities. Stop blackmailing people in the name of god. Elected representatives should resolve issues of people and provide facilities, instead of offering freebies and taking promises from people by playing with their religious sentiments,” voters told them. TNIE called Hebbalkar several times, but she was not available to provide her side of the story.