Varuna, Kanakapura, Channapatna, Shiggaon: 10 key seats that will decide the fate of Karnataka heavyweights

Synopsis As Karnataka prepares for its upcoming assembly elections, parties are leaving no stone unturned to woo voters across the state. With 224 assembly seats up for grabs, every constituency plays a crucial role in determining the outcome of the election. Here are the top 10 key constituencies of Karnataka elections 2023 that can potentially impact the overall result of the polls.

Agencies As the southern state of Karnataka prepares for its upcoming assembly elections in 2023, political parties are leaving no stone unturned to woo voters across the state. As the southern state of Karnataka prepares for its upcoming assembly elections in 2023, political parties are leaving no stone unturned to woo voters across the state. With 224 assembly seats up for grabs, every constituency plays a crucial role in determining the outcome of the election.

Here are the top 10 key constituencies of Karnataka elections 2023 that can potentially impact the overall result of the polls. 1. Varuna : Varuna is a traditional stronghold of the Congress party.

Congress stalwart and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is going back to his old constituency, which he had ‘sacrificed’ for his son S Yathindra in 2018. This time, Varuna is likely to see a mega showdown between two Lingayat heavyweights, Congress’s Siddaramaiah and BJP’s V Somanna. While Siddaramaiah is likely to retain the Lingayat voter base in the Mysuru region, Somanna will also play to his appeal within the Lingayat mutts.

Siddharamaiah is likely to win the seat but Somanna enjoys the support of both Vokkaligas and Lingayats communities. It would be interesting to see whether Somanna can make a dent into Siddaramaiah bastion. 2.

Kanakapura : Congress state president D K Shivakumar, nick-named as ‘Kanakapura Rock’ is a seven-time MLA from the constituency. He is winning the seat from 1989 to till date. He is also known as the Congress’ money man.

He is also a contender for the post of chief minister along with former CM Siddaramaiah, who currently serves as the leader of the opposition in the state assembly. The constituency has a significant population of Vokkaliga community voters. Shivakumar is also a leader from the Vokkaliga community of the Old Mysore region, where the JD(S) enjoys considerable clout.

BJP has fielded the current revenue minister R. Ashok from the seat. 3.

Channapatna : Channapatna has been represented by the JD(S) for multiple terms. The constituency has a significant population of Vokkaliga community voters, who have traditionally supported by the JD(S). The seat is currently held by JD(S) chief and former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy.

This is likely to be a prestige battle for Kumaraswamy, who has remained unbeaten since 2004. This time, Kumaraswamy is likely to face a stiff competition from BJP leader and former tourism minister CP Yogeshwara. Meanwhile, the Congress has fielded Gangadhar S.

from this seat. Yogeshwara enjoys a mass appeal, courtesy of his profession as an actor and director known for delivering hits like ‘Uttara Dhruvadim Dakshina Druvaku’, Sainika, and Badhri. Yogeshwara, a strong Vokkaliga leader, may dent the traditional Vokkaliga voter bank of Kumaraswamy.

4. Shiggaon : It is a traditional stronghold of the BJP. The constituency has a significant population of Lingayat community voters, who have traditionally supported the BJP.

BJP’s current Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is contesting from this seat. Bommai is seeking re-election for the fourth term. However, Bommai’s image has taken a hit after becoming the CM.

Known for his clean record, Bommai has been constantly flooded with several allegations of mismanagement and corruption in the last two year of his government. Congress is looking to make a dent in the BJP’s bastion due to this anti-incumbency. Congress has fielded fielded Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan against Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

5. Shikaripura: The important seat held by former CM and Lingayat strongman BS Yediyurappa is now vacant following his retirement from active politics. This is the first time in four decades that this high profile constituency will be going to polls without senior Yediyurappa in the fray.

Yediyurappa’s second son BY Vijayendra has got ticket form BJP this time. The constituency is crucial for the BJP as it has been a traditional stronghold of the party. The Congress has fielded Goni Malatesh, who lost to Yediyurappa in the previous Assembly election (2018) by over 35,000 votes while S P Nagaraja Gowda, a Congress rebel, is contesting as an independent candidate.

There are some in Shikaripura who believe that Gowda is likely give a good fight to Vijayendra, as anti-Yeddyurappa family votes in the segment, also those upset with Congress, and looking for change, in addition to his own supporters, are bound to solidly rally behind him. Gowda is also hoping to galvanise the support of ‘Sadar Lingayat’ community, which has considerable presence in Shikaripura, along with gaining the backing of the Banjara community, who are reportedly upset with the ruling BJP, after it announced internal reservations among SCs, and had even stoned Yediyurappa’s Shikaripura residence during a recent protest. Chikmagalur: Chikmagalur has been represented by the BJP party multiple terms.

The constituency has a significant population of Gowda community voters, who have traditionally supported the BJP. BJP’s firebrand national secretary CT Ravi is contesting from this seat. He is one of the prominent faces of the party in Karnataka who has risen through the ranks to become the national general secretary.

He is a four-time MLA from the Chikmagalur. The Vokkaliga leader is known for his strong links to the RSS. Ravi was among those who claimed that Tipu Sultan, the 18th Century ruler of Mysuru, was killed by two Vokkaliga chieftains – Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda – and not by the British and Maratha army.

The seat was a Congress bastion until CT Ravi won it in 2004. The seat was once represented by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1978. Ravi is facing his once-time aide HD Thammaiah from Congress.

Thammaiah hails from politically dominant Lingayat community. The community has 40,000 voters in the constituency while Vokalligas, the community CT Ravi belongs to, have 20,000 votes. If Thammaiah wins, he will be the second Lingayat to win the seat after CMS Shastri, who won the seat five decades ago in 1967.

6. Ramanagara: The silk city Ramanagara has been a traditional stronghold of the JD(S). This city is also famously known for shooting of blockbuster film Sholay and has also given two chief ministers — HD Kumaraswamy and HD Deve Gowda.

In this elections, actor-politician Nikhil Kumaraswamy, the son of Kumaraswamy and grandson of Deve Gowda, is contesting from Ramanagara, against Iqbal Hussain of the Congress and Gowtham Gowda of the BJP respectively. The seat has over 70 per cent Vokkaligas voters – the support base of the Deve Gowdas – 35 per cent are OBCs, and 26 per cent Muslims. The seat has been a JD(S) bastion for over two decades represented by Nikhil’s father and grandfather.

Its incumbent MLA is Nikhil’s mother Anitha Kumaraswamy, who won a bypoll from here in 2018. 7. Shivamogga: The seat is represented by the BJP multiple terms.

The constituency has a significant Lingayat population. BJP has nominated Channabasappa from the seat as former Minister KS Eshwarappa has retired from electoral politics. Channabasappa, a Lingayat leader, has been elected to the corporation four times.

He is considered a supporter of Eshwarappa. The Congress has nominated HC Yogesh, also a corporator, for the seat, while the JD(S) has nominated Ayanur Manjunath, who resigned from the Karnataka Legislative Council and the BJP to contest the Assembly elections. 8.

Hassan: The seat is set to witness a tough fight this time between the ruling BJP and the JD(S). BJP’s Preetham Gowda broke the JD(S) monopoly last time by defeating HS Prakash with a victory margin of about 13,000. This time, the JD(S) is confronted with a ‘family feud’ where Deve Gowda’s daughter-in-law (H D Revanna’s wife) Bhavani demanded a ticket to contest from Hassan.

After much deliberations, the JD(S) has fielded Swaroop HS Prakash, who will be up against BJP’s Preetham J Gowda. Congress has fielded Banavasi Rangaswamy. 9.

Chittapur: The Chittapur seat holds importance as it would decide the fate of Former Minister Priyank Kharge, son of Congress chief Mallikarjuna Kharge. The constituency was once represented by Mallikarjun Kharge. Priyank has now served as Chittapur MLA for the last 10 years and is presently the head of the communication and social media wing of the state Congress party.

The seat will also witness an interesting contest between a contrasting candidates from BJP and the JD (S). While the 29 year-old BJP candidate, Manikanta Rathod, has multiple criminal cases against him, JD(S) candidate Subhash Chandra Rathod was a Principal civil judge and a local court judge. The seat has been a traditional stronghold of Congress.

Of the 14 general elections and one byelection held in the constituency since 1957, Congress has won 11. 10. Bellari: Ballari has traditionally been a Congress stronghold.

Former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi contested the famous Lok Sabha election in 1999 from Ballari against he BJP challenger Sushma Swaraj. However, the mining boom changed the balance of power for a brief period with Janardhan Reddy emerging as a strong leader. Since 2004, the fate of this seat has been influenced by mining baron Janardhan Reddy and his previous close aide B Sriramulu.

This year, former Minister, mining baron and chief of Kalyana Rajya Pragati Paksha, G Janardhana Reddy has fielded his wife Aruna Lakshmi from here. Reddy’s brother G Somasekara Reddy is the sitting BJP MLA and is seeking re-election on a BJP ticket. Sriramulu, who has been elected to the Assembly five times and Lok Sabha once in the past, is also seeking the people’s mandate for the sixth time.

Congress has given ticket to Na. Ra. Bharat Redd.

The situation might turn favourable for the Congress in 2023 owing to Janardhan Reddy forming his own political outfit to contest the elections. BJP’s traditional vote bank and that of the Reddy brothers could be divided among the BJP and the KRPP, giving an advantage to Congress. Don’t miss out on ET Prime stories! Get your daily dose of business updates on WhatsApp.

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