Karnataka: BJP changes script to hide incompetency; will it help?

MANGALURU: Sullia, the second largest assembly constituency in Dakshina Kannada district after Belthangady, is home to Kukke Shree Subrahmanya Temple — the richest muzrai temple in Karnataka. That seems to be the only solace and claim to fame for the people of this constituency, where close to 75% live in 76 villages of 43 gram panchayats, without proper infrastructure.
The taluk is plagued by poor road network, drinking water supply and power supply issues. Incidentally, former CM DV Sadananda Gowda and BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel hail from the constituency, but that hasn’t helped either. To be fair, the incumbent MLA S Angara inherited a large, backward and rural constituency, but there’s nothing tangible to show for his six victories from the constituency. And much to his dismay, the BJP decided to field an ordinary ‘karyakarta’ woman as its candidate instead of him in the constituency, the only reserved constituency in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada. At present, a direct fight between Bhagirathi Murulya, a former member of DKZP and G Krishnappa of the Congress, is in the offing.

According to sources in the BJP, a decision to replace Angara was taken based on an internal survey that there was anti-incumbency against him, and the opposition too was aggressive and vocal about the issue even before the polls were declared. In many areas, banners were put up demanding a change of candidate. Since 1994, S Angara has been representing the constituency. Be that may be, but all was not rosy in the Congress camp either. Supporters of ticket aspirant HM Nandakumar were annoyed and staged protests and held several public meetings urging replacement of Krishnappa. When the KPCC refused to budge, supporters wanted Nandakumar to contest as an independent - but gradually the opposition fizzled out. Similarly, as soon as the BJP announced the candidate for Sullia, a disgruntled Angara said that he would retire from active politics, but was quick to withdraw his statement.
One redeeming factor in the line-up is that, for the first time in the history of the constituency, national parties –BJP and Aam Aadmi Party – have fielded women candidates. The AAP has fielded Sumana Bellarkar, daughter of two-time Congress MLA K Kushala. In total, there are eight candidates in the fray including Ganesh M from Karnataka Rashtra Samithi, Sunder Mera from Kalyana Rajya Pragathi Paksha, HL Venkatesh from JD(S), Ramesha Boodu from Uttama Prajaakeeya Party and Guruvappa Kallugudde (ind). Being largely rural, poor road connectivity, lack of major and minor bridges to many hamlets and public transportation are also major issues plaguing the constituency. Villagers of Kamila – Mogra in Guthigaru gram panchayat had sent a documentary CD to narrate the pathetic condition of their village to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2020. Later, villagers pooled in money and built a 50-footlong bridge across a rivulet without waiting for government sanction.
Recently, a novel protest was held wherein people begged symbolically for the repair of a road in the constituency. Though Sadananda Gowda, when he was the CM in 2012, assured of a rubber factory, that too has not materialised in a constituency where rubber is largely cultivated along with arecanut. The yellow leaf disease is another major headache for growers and the current dispensation has not helped them much, barring words of sympathy. Man-elephant conflict is a recurring phenomenon in this constituency. The Congress is trying hard to break the BJP’s victory spree and top leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, are campaigning in the constituency. Similarly, the BJP has brought in its party president JP Nadda, and several other star campaigners, including Tamil Nadu state president K Annamalai to the campaign, since there is a sizable number of Sri Lankan repatriates settled here since 1852.