Karnataka assembly polls: Congress, BJP in a fix over selection of SC candidates

BENGALURU: Both the governing BJP and principal opposition Congress appear to be facing a challenge in selecting candidates for assembly segments reserved for Scheduled Castes in Bengaluru for the upcoming elections. Of the 28 seats in the city (including Anekal), four are reserved for SCs.
The national parties hold two each. While BJP represents CV Raman Nagar and Mahadevapura, Congress holds Pulikeshinagar and Anekal. But both are looking to wrest seats from each other, while retaining their own.
And latest developments have put them in quandary. Pulikeshinagar is a Congress stronghold. Akhanda Srinivasmurthy, the incumbent, won by securing a record 77% vote share against the JD(S) candidate in 2018. The seat is dominated by minorities — Muslims and Christians — and it would be a tall order for BJP to wrest it.
Yet, Congress is struggling to finalise a candidate because of the DJ Halli-KG Halli riots in 2020 during which Srinivasmurthy’s house was set on fire. Srinivasmurthy is seen as a Siddaramaiah loyalist, and he has consistently blamed former mayor R Sampath Raj for the violence.
Raj is backed by DK Shivakumar. However, Srinivasmurthy fell out of grace with the entire party leadership and his supporters after he was seen to be hobnobbing with BJP after the incident. A section of functionaries believe he should be denied the ticket.
Senior functionaries like former KPCC president G Parameshwara and former MP KH Muniyappa are reportedly lobbying for the seat. “Speculations are rife about Pulikeshinagar, but we are clear in our mind about the candidate,” said Ramalinga Reddy, KPCC working president in charge of Bengaluru.
“The screening committee has forwarded our suggestions and the central election committee will take the final call.” Meanwhile, Congress is trying to wrest CV Ramanagar, which is represented by BJP’s S Raghu, a three-time MLA, but Sampath Raj, the Congress candidate in 2018, is facing stiff opposition from local supporters.
The leadership is said to have asked Muniyappa to contest from there, but he has turned down the offer considering BJP’s dominance. In Anekal, Congress is facing anti-incumbency with its MLA B Shivanna representing it for two terms from 2013. But the party does not have an alternative candidate who can win.
BJP too is struggling to find a potential candidate after A Narayanaswamy shifted to Chitradurga parliament seat in 2019. But the toughest challenge for BJP is in Mahadevapura. Internal surveys reportedly suggest strong anti-incumbency against sitting MLA Arvind Limbavali, who has represented the seat since 2008. The party is thinking of shifting him to a seat in Bagalkot district, but the saffron party does not have a strong replacement. Congress is likely to field H Nagesh, an independent who currently represents Mulbagal in Kolar district.