Abode of Lord Manjunatha to see fight between young turks

Mangaluru: The ground has been set for two young leaders—sitting MLA Harish Poonja from BJP and Rakshith Shivaram from the Congress—to battle it out in Belthangady, the constituency nestled in the foothills of the Western Ghats.
While Poonja is aggressively campaigning by reaching out to voters on the basis of the development works he has done in the last five years, as well as the development works of the ‘double-engine sarkar,’ Rakshith Shivaram is picking holes in the former’s development story, and hitting out at the BJP with the ‘commission’ issue.
In the recent past too, the Congress’s PayCM campaign echoed in Belthangady, and the party also put up PayMLA posters. Both leaders are engaged in door-to-door campaigning, and reaching out to the people in remote villages. Out of the 14 nominations submitted, 12 have been accepted, and eight candidates are in the fray. For the Congress, Ashraf Alikunhi from the JD(S) and Akbar Belthangady from SDPI, could dent the vote share.
It is interesting to note that Tuluvere Paksha, a new political party formed to demand recognition of Tulu, is also contesting the election. Shailesh RJ, representing the party, has demanded that the government declare Tulu as the second official language in Karnataka, and that it be included in Schedule VIII of the Constitution.
One of the key issues in this constituency bordering the Ghats is that of forest dwellers. Social activist Shekhar Laila said nine villages are under the Kudremukh National Park, and a majority of the population in those villages are Malekudiyas, a tribal community. Those residing in the villages still have no power supply or proper road connectivity, and their voices are often ignored.
Shekar pointed out that illegal tree felling is another issue that needs to be stopped. “The need of the hour is to protect natural resources. A DSP office is essential for Belthangady, along with a women’s police station, Ambedkar Bhavana, Bayalu Rangamandira and a women’s college,” he said.
Meanwhile, basic amenities for tourists are also a key demand from the public of the region. Other than witnessing high VIP movement to Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala, the constituency sees thousands of tourists visiting the place every day. Known for educational institutions and religious tourism, the region is dotted with waterfalls and is often visited by trekkers.
There is also a section that expresses concern over increasing forest fires, that are causing large-scale destruction to the environment. This year, there has been a record number of instances. At the same time, during the monsoon, the number of landslides is also increasing. An upgraded fire station with all facilities, including a helicopter to tackle wildfires is essential. A helicopter will also be useful during floods, landslides and during other natural disasters.
An environmentalist said sensitive areas should be kept away from ‘development’ so that the Western Ghats are protected. “Though BJP has been in favour of setting up a mini airport keeping tourists visiting Dharmasthala in mind, there is a need to reconsider the project. Does this constituency require a mini airport? When roads are being developed and Mangaluru airport is in close proximity, the government can drop this project,” said the environmentalist.