Belgaum Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Excessive-Stakes Conflict Between BJP’s Jagadish Shettar and Congress’s Mrinal Hebbalkar

Belgaum Lok Sabha constituency is one among 28 parliamentary constituencies in Karnataka. This can be a Normal class seat and contains a part of the Belgaum district. As many as eight Meeting segments fall underneath the Belgaum Lok Sabha constituency, with the BJP at the moment holding 5 (Arabhavi, Belgaum Uttar, Belgaum Dakshin, Saundatti Yellamma, Ramdurg) and the Congress three (Gokak, Belgaum Rural, Bailhongal). The constituency, often known as Belagavi, will vote within the third section of basic elections on Might 7, 2024.

Sitting MP — Mangala Suresh Angadi (BJP)

Candidates — Jagadish Shettar (BJP), Mrunal Ravindra Hebbalkar (Congress)

Political dynamics

• The BJP has dominated Belgaum constituency since 2004 with the late Suresh Angadi successful on the trot, adopted by his spouse within the 2021 by polls. This time, the constituency is witnessing a high-stakes conflict between two first-time Lok Sabha aspirants. The BJP has opted for expertise with Jagadish Shettar barely months after he returned to the get together and the Congress is inserting its bets on youth with Mrinal Hebbalkar, the son of Belagavi Rural MLA Laxmi Hebbalkar.
• BJP: Of the whole 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka, BJP is contesting in 25, and JD(S), which joined the NDA in September final 12 months, in three. The Belgaum seat is a part of the BJP kitty.
• The BJP has been dealing with a dearth of management in Belgaum district, particularly after the demise of a number of influential leaders like Umesh Katti, Suresh Angadi and Anand Mamani.
• As speculated following his return to the BJP, former chief minister Jagadish Shettar will contest from Belgaum (Belagavi) constituency. A win, the BJP hopes, would fill its management vacuum within the district.
• The 68-year-old is a senior Lingayat chief who hails from the North Karnataka area, which can be recognized to be one of many strongholds of the BJP.
• Shettar, a six-time MLA who additionally served as MLC for 3 months, was made the Karnataka Chief Minister at BS Yeddyurappa’s insistence for 10 months between 2012 and 2013.
• Shettar, a BS Yediyurappa loyalist, was apprehensive about contesting from Belgaum as a result of he doesn’t belong to the Panchamsali sect, a predominant sect of the Lingayats who get pleasure from influential numbers within the constituency. He reportedly needed to contest his maiden Lok Sabha election from Dharwad or Haveri, however BSY satisfied him to not refuse the Belgaum nomination. Even earlier than the BJP’s official announcement, BSY had declared that Jagadish Shettar could be the get together’s Belgaum candidate.
• Shettar comes from an influential political household which was related to the Jan Sangh. It was Shettar’s uncle Sadashiva Shettar who opened the Jan Sangh’s first account in South India. Later, his father Shivappa Shettar grew to become the Mayor of Hubballi.
• Shettar, The Occasion Hopper: A staunch RSS man, Jagadish Shettar had give up the BJP to hitch the Congress forward of the Karnataka Meeting polls final 12 months after being denied the ticket from Hubballi-Dharwad Central, a seat he had been successful since 2008.
• The Congress gave him a ticket for the 2023 Meeting polls from the identical constituency, however regardless of his long-standing affiliation with the seat, Shettar suffered a defeat, dropping by a margin of over 30,000 votes to BJP’s Mahesh Tenginakai.
• Although he had misplaced the Meeting election, the Congress made him a Member of the Legislative Council.
• In January this 12 months, the previous Karnataka CM returned to the BJP citing his lengthy affiliation with the get together.
• In keeping with political analyst SA Hemanth, it was a foregone conclusion that Shettar wouldn’t final lengthy within the Congress. “Born right into a Jan Sangh household and given the truth that he has been anti-Congress, his blood can be anti-Congress. It was unnatural for him to be in that get together,” defined Hemanth.
• Angadi Household Issue: The Belgaum seat is at the moment represented by Mangala Angadi, the spouse of the late Suresh Angadi, former Minister of State for Railways.
• She had gained with a slender margin of over 5,000 votes within the 2021 by ballot towards Congress strongman Satish Jarkiholi when the seat fell vacant in 2020 after her husband’s dying resulting from Covid-19.
• Jagadish Shettar additionally occurs to be a relative of the Angadi household. Mangala Angadi’s daughter Shraddha Angadi is married to Shettar’s son Sankalp Shettar, a businessman.
• He was the ballot in-charge of this seat when Mangala Angadi fought the by ballot.
• Mangala Angadi has welcomed Shettar’s candidature from her present seat, saying she had requested BJP chief JP Nadda a ticket for the household and the get together delivered by selecting Shettar.
• It’s the residence of Mangala Angadi in Vishweshwaraiah Nagar that has was the motion centre of BJP’s marketing campaign within the constituency.
• Nonetheless, when Shettar’s candidature was introduced, posters had been put up in Kannada by unidentified folks, suspected to be BJP cadre, saying Shettar was welcome for lunch “because the in-law of Ms. Shraddha Angadi” however not as a celebration candidate for the Lok Sabha elections.
• Outsider Tag: Shettar’s candidature from Belgaum was not with out controversies since he had been MLA from the Hubli-Dharwad Central seat from 2008 to 2023.
• Throughout the get together, there was mentioned to be appreciable discontent over an ‘outsider’ being fielded within the Belgaum seat.
• A bit of the native get together unit had even resorted to a ‘Go Again Shettar’ marketing campaign to protest his ticket.
• Among the many aspirants ignored in Shettar’s favour was BJP chief and former MP Ramesh Katti, additionally a Lingayat who was mentioned to have the assist of Marathi-speaking folks in Ramdurg, Saundatti and Bailhongal.
• Insiders say Shettar shortly quelled the revolt towards his candidature, personally reaching out to each chief opposing his ticket and efficiently satisfied them to root for him.
• Throughout campaigning, too, Shettar has been pushing laborious to counter the ‘outsider’ tag, saying Hubbali is his “janmabhoomi” however Belagavi is his “karmabhoomi”.
• Sources say his marketing campaign hopes the familial hyperlinks to the Angadi household would additionally assist Shettar counter the ‘outsider’ tag.
• Congress: Belgaum election is a matter of status for the Congress which needs its revenge on Jagadish Shettar for returning to the BJP barely a 12 months after becoming a member of the Congress. The grand previous get together had given Shettar an MLC place regardless of the previous chief minister dropping the Meeting elections.
• The Congress has tasked Belagavi Rural MLA Laxmi Hebbalkar’s son Mrinal Ravindra Hebbalkar with the job. Laxmi Hebbalkar can be the Karnataka Ladies and Baby Growth Minister.
• The election is a private quest too for Mrinal since his mom had misplaced the Belagavi Lok Sabha election in 2014.
• Mrinal says his mom’s electoral defeat within the 2013 Meeting elections, the place unparliamentary language was utilized by Hebbalkar’s arch-rival and now BJP MLA Ramesh Jarakiholi to insult her, fuelled his resolution to enter energetic politics.
• Armed with a level in civil engineering, Mrinal’s marketing campaign technique has been to reveal the unfulfilled guarantees made by the BJP parliamentarians who have been elected from Belgaum for 25 years whereas promising to make it a twin metropolis to Bengaluru.
• Youth vs Expertise, Son of the Soil vs Outsider: The battle for Belgaum is pitted as one between youth and expertise. Mrinal, in his Lok Sabha elections debut, is up towards Jagadish Shettar’s political experience and manoeuvring.
• Mrinal Hebbalkar says his expertise as a Youth Congress chief and now as Karnataka State Secretary of the Indian Youth Congress has given him sufficient publicity and experience.
• The primary part of Mrinal’s election marketing campaign is that he belongs to Belgaum whereas Shettar is an “outsider”.
• Chatting with News18 earlier this month, Mrinal taunted Shettar, saying the previous Hubli-Dharwad Central MLA “could not know or perceive Belgaum as a seat”.
• Nepotism/Dynasty Politics Cost: The Congress has confronted a number of allegations of nepotism whereas handing out tickets for the Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka. Mrinal Hebbalkar is amongst 5 Congress candidates who’re kids of state ministers.
• The BJP has been fast to weave the actual fact into its election narrative, accusing the Congress of indulging in dynasty politics.
• Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar defended the selection of candidates, saying winnability was a key issue of their choice.
• Panchamsali Lingayat Issue: Each BJP and Congress candidates belong to the Lingayat group, which kinds near 17-18% of Karnataka’s voting inhabitants and in addition has a major say within the formation of governments within the state.
• Whereas the Lingayats are historically BJP supporters, the sub-caste of the candidates too is a vital decider on the constituency-level.
• Jagadish Shettar belongs to the Banajiga sub-caste amongst Lingayats, whereas Mrinal Hebbalkar is a Panchamasali Lingayat chief.
• Whereas Banajiga Lingayats get pleasure from appreciable affect resulting from their investments and involvement in academic establishments and cooperative societies, Belgaum has a better variety of Panchamasali voters.
• Mrinal’s mom, Belagavi Rural MLA Laxmi Hebbalkar, is alleged to benefit from the assist of Banajigas in addition to Panchamsalis.
• Observers, nonetheless, predict a 70-30 cut up in Panchamsali votes in favour of the BJP.
• Maratha Politics and Voting Sample: With Belgaum falling on the border of Karnataka and Maharashtra, the constituency counts greater than 2 lakh Maratha group voters.
• It has additionally grow to be the political hotspot of the border dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka.
• Steering the Maratha group as a voting bloc is the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES). The outfit has invited Manoj Jarange (Patil), who’s spearheading the Maratha reservation agitation in Maharashtra, to Belgaum on April 30.
• Marathi-speaking inhabitants of Belgaum has historically voted for the BJP however not if the MES places up a robust candidate.
• This time, nonetheless, the MES has put up a candidate thought-about to be weak electorally — Mahadev Patil who might be contesting as an Impartial.
• Observers say Marathi voters are prone to aspect with the BJP over the MES’s Impartial candidate.
• With the presence of numerous Marathi-speaking voters, Belgaum can be a bilingual constituency. Mrinal Hebbalkar says that as a “Belgaumite”, he can tread the linguistic steadiness within the constituency, including that the identical can’t be mentioned about Shettar.
• Modi Recognition: Political observers say the Modi issue has been predominant in the previous few elections in Belgaum and was the explanation Suresh Angadi was in a position to stretch his run within the seat by two extra wins in 2014 and 2019.
• Even the bypoll victory of Angadi’s spouse Mangala in 2021 is alleged to be due to the Modi wave within the seat.
• The PM campaigned within the constituency on April 28.
• The Feuding Sahukaras of Belagavi: There are various highly effective political households within the Belagavi district, the leaders of that are fondly referred to as ‘sahukaras’. They embody the Jarkiholis, Kattis, Hukkeris, Jolles, and now the Hebbalkar household.
• The Jarkiholis maintain a robust management over the district with three MLAs and an MLC from the identical household. Priyanka Jarkiholi, daughter of Congress minister Satish Jarkiholi, is within the fray from the Chikkodi seat.
• Laxmi Hebbalkar is a cupboard minister and her brother Channaraj Hattiholi is an MLC whereas her son Mrinal now’s contesting the Lok Sabha polls.
• For 5 years now, there’s been an enormous feud between Gokak MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi and minister Laxmi Hebbalkar.
• It began in the course of the PLD Financial institution elections again in 2018. Ramesh Jarkiholi was embroiled in a ‘sex-for-job’ scandal and was compelled to give up his ministership.
• Within the 2023 Meeting elections, Jarkiholi propped up his candidate, Nagesh Mannolkar, towards Hebbalkar in Belagavi Rural, however Hebbalkar gained comfortably. Jarkiholis see Mrinal’s election run as an opportunity to settle scores.

Key constituency points

• Karnataka-Maharashtra Border Row: The border problem dates again to 1957 when states have been reorganised on linguistic traces. Maharashtra laid declare to Belagavi, which was a part of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency, because it has a sizeable Marathi-speaking inhabitants, and over 800 Marathi-speaking border villages which can be at the moment part of Karnataka.
• Karnataka maintains that the demarcation achieved on linguistic traces as per the States Reorganisation Act and the 1967 Mahajan Fee report is remaining.
• To claim that Belagavi is an integral a part of the state, Karnataka constructed the ‘Suvarna Vidhana Soudha’ there, modelled on the Vidhana Soudha, the seat of the state legislature and secretariat in Bengaluru.
• On October 31 final 12 months, the Belagavi administration had banned three Maharashtra ministers and an MP from getting into the border district as they have been anticipated to take part within the “black day” occasion organised by Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) on November 1, the Karnataka formation day.
• MES, which has been combating for the merger of a number of Marathi-speaking areas and villages of the state with Maharashtra for lengthy, observes ‘Karnataka Rajyotsava’ as a black day yearly.
• Panchamsali 2A Quota Demand: The influential Panchamasali caste has been demanding inclusion within the Class 2A of the reservation listing within the state.
• To allay the group, the earlier BJP authorities within the state had determined to create separate classes referred to as 2C and 2D to incorporate the Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities, respectively.
• The BJP authorities had additionally elevated the reservation for Lingayats in 2D class from 5% to 7%, put up which the Basava Jaya Mrutyunjaya Swamiji of Panchamasali Peeth ended his two-year previous agitation.
• The demand to be included within the 2A class, nonetheless, has not been deserted by the group, although observers say it’s much less of a think about Lok Sabha elections than it was within the Meeting elections final 12 months.
• In March final 12 months, a PIL was filed within the Excessive Courtroom towards any transfer to incorporate the Panchamasalis within the 2A class based mostly on an interim report of the Karnataka State Fee for Backward Lessons. The petition said that since such a request was rejected by the physique in 2000 itself, the court docket was requested to forestall the federal government from making the inclusion now.
• Nonetheless, on March 23, 2023, the Karnataka Excessive Courtroom vacated a keep granted based mostly on the PIL on the Panchamasali caste reservation, paving the way in which for the state authorities to take a call on it.
• Lack of Growth On Par With Bengaluru: Belgaum is taken into account to be Karnataka’s second capital however is but to see the sort of growth to match as much as a Tier 1 metropolis. Events and candidates have been promising infrastructure initiatives for the area, MNCs to create extra jobs and the establishing of SEZs, however all has remained on paper.
• Demand to Rename Airport: The Karnataka authorities is contemplating calls for to call the Belagavi airport after Veera Rani Kittur Chennamma.
• Rani Chennamma (1778–1829), the queen of erstwhile princely state of Kittur in Belagavi district, had fought towards the British, and is remembered as a folks hero in Karnataka.
• If the state authorities needs to rename any airport within the state, a decision to this impact must be tabled and handed in each homes of the state legislature, and the proposal despatched to the Centre.
• Drought: Belagavi is among the drought-hit districts in Karnataka. In October final 12 months, the Siddaramaiah authorities had knowledgeable an inter-ministerial central crew that the state is dealing with a “inexperienced drought”, and requested that its evaluation be made based mostly on elements like crop progress and yield.
• A inexperienced drought is mostly understood to imply a interval when there may be restricted rainfall resulting from which there’s progress of recent crops, however the progress is insubstantial.
• In December, Karnataka Minister for Sugar and Agriculture Advertising Shivanand Patil’s assertion that farmers want for repeated droughts within the state in order that their loans get waived had brought about a stir. He had made the offending comment in Belagavi.
• Water disaster: The district can be observing scarcity of water with depleted water ranges in each Hidkal Dam and Renuka Sagar reservoirs as a result of drought.
• In response, native authorities have reportedly modified water provide from as soon as each 3–4 days to as soon as per week.
• Girl Stripping Case: One of many first challenges confronted by the Congress authorities after coming to energy in Karnataka final 12 months was the case of a 55-year-old Dalit girl being stripped and crushed, paraded bare and tied to an electrical pole in a village in Balagavi district, after her son eloped with a lady who was to get engaged with another person. The incident, which unfolded in December in New Vantamuri village, had grow to be a political flashpoint between the Congress and BJP.
• The BJP contended within the Meeting that such incidents had not taken place when the saffron get together was in energy in Karnataka, and accused the Congress authorities of being smooth on crimes towards ladies and Dalits.
• The Congress had in flip lashed out on the BJP for politicising the incident and guaranteed strict motion towards the perpetrators.
• On April 25, 2024, the Karnataka Excessive Courtroom directed the trial court docket to finish the proceedings inside a 12 months.
• The Karnataka authorities informed the HC that the sufferer was given a two-acre piece of land and Rs 5 lakh as compensation.

Voter demographics

Social composition

SC — 12.1%

ST — 6.2%

Non secular composition

Buddhist — 0.02%

Christian — 0.39%

Jain — 3.73%

Muslim — 11.06%

Sikh — 0.04%

Literacy fee

63.85%

Main infra initiatives in Belgaum

• 4-laning of NH748A: The Union Highway Transport and Highways Ministry has sanctioned Rs 2,675.31 crore for the four-laning of the Belgaum-Hungund-Raichur part of Nationwide Freeway-748A in Bagalkot and Belgavi districts of Karnataka on the hybrid annuity foundation.
• The initiative spans a complete size of 92.40 km and is an integral a part of the Panaji-Hyderabad EC10 hall.
• EC10 connects pivotal industrial hubs, together with Panaji, celebrated for fishing, and tourism; Belgavi famend for meals grains, and milk merchandise; Raichur, recognised for rice, cotton, groundnut, and pulses; and Hyderabad, distinguished for IT, pharma, and healthcare.
• Flyover Venture: The challenge to assemble a 4.5km flyover to cut back site visitors congestion in Belagavi metropolis lastly kicked off in January this 12 months.
• The pet challenge of Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi will come up between Pune-Bengaluru NH48 and Channamma Circle. It’s going to cross by Ashok Circle and RTO Circle.
• The challenge is estimated to value Rs 350 crore.
• Belagavi Railway Station: On February 27 final 12 months, Prime Minister Narendra Modi devoted to the nation the Belagavi Railway station constructing, which has been redeveloped at an approximate value of about Rs 190 crore to supply world-class facilities to the passengers.
• Rail Line Doubling Venture: PM Modi had additionally launched the rail line doubling challenge between Londa-Belagavi price Rs 930 crore.
• The challenge will improve line capability alongside the busy Mumbai-Pune-Hubballi-Bengaluru railway line, resulting in promotion of commerce, commerce and financial actions within the area.
• Vande Bharat: In February this 12 months, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw gave in-principal approval for the much-awaited Belagavi-Pune Vande Bharat Specific.
• The service is prone to be launched as soon as the continuing electrification work on the monitor is accomplished which can take a 12 months.
• In March, the Vande Bharat practice connecting Bengaluru and Dharwad was prolonged to Belagavi. The practice takes 7 hours and 45 minutes from Bengaluru to Belagavi, which is greater than two hours quicker than the sooner quickest practice.
• Railway Overpass: As per native stories, a railway overpass is being deliberate on the bypass highway of Hudali village, changing the prevailing guide railway gate. The challenge is estimated to value Rs 2.35 crore.
• Lake augmentation: The Siddaramaiah authorities in February this 12 months greenlighted the filling up of 20 tanks in Uchagaon and Santibastavad Hoblis of Belagavi Taluk of Belagavi district. The estimated value of the challenge is Rs 287.55 crore.
• Equally, 61 lakes in Hirebagewadi in Belagavi district are to be augmented at an estimated value of Rs 519.10 crore, excluding GST of Rs 106.5 crore.
• Stadium: A well-equipped district stadium can be within the works in Belagavi at an estimated value of Rs 60 crore. Studies say the preliminary section of the challenge, costing Rs 10 crore, was to start in 2023-24, with subsequent phases to be accomplished within the following years.

Verify Lok Sabha Election 2024 Section 3 Schedule, Key Candidates And Constituencies At News18 Web site.