Lok Sabha elections: Caste not a key factor in Dharwad

  • | Tuesday | 19th March, 2019

HUBBALLI: Caste arithmetic normally plays a decisive role in elections but Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency seems to be an exception. Before delimitation in 2008, it was known as Dharwad North Lok Sabha constituency. Lingayat community, with over 5.75 lakh votes, is dominant in Dharwad constituency, followed by Muslim community with 2.55 lakh votes. Scheduled castes and scheduled tribes have 1.84 lakh and 72,000 votes respectively.Though Lingayat community is dominant here, candidates representing the community were defeated in many previous Lok Sabha elections. Vijay Sankeshwar is the only Lingayat candidate from this constituency, who was elected three terms.Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency is a strong bastion of the BJP.

HUBBALLI: Caste arithmetic normally plays a decisive role in elections but Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency seems to be an exception. Contrary to the feeling that candidate from a dominant community in the constituency stands a better chance to win, voters here have proved time and again that they don’t go by caste or religion while choosing their leader. Lingayat community, with over 5.75 lakh votes, is dominant in Dharwad constituency, followed by Muslim community with 2.55 lakh votes. Scheduled castes and scheduled tribes have 1.84 lakh and 72,000 votes respectively.Though Lingayat community is dominant here, candidates representing the community were defeated in many previous Lok Sabha elections. Voters of the dominant caste have often supported candidates of other castes. Vijay Sankeshwar is the only Lingayat candidate from this constituency, who was elected three terms.Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency is a strong bastion of the BJP. The saffron party has been winning from this constituency since 1996. Before delimitation in 2008, it was known as Dharwad North Lok Sabha constituency. Congress had captured this constituency from 1957 to 1996. D P Karmakar won in 1952 and 1957, Sarojini Mahishi was MP for four times from 1962 to 1977 and D K Naiker was MP for four times from 1982 to 1991. BJP wrested this seat from the Congress in 1996 with Vijay Sankeshwar, a Lingayat, winning the election with a thumping majority. After Sankeshwar, sitting BJP MP Prahlad Joshi has been winning from this constituency since 2004, and he is now all set to try his luck for the fourth time.From 1952 to 2014, it is the non-Lingayat candidates whom the voters have chosen — D P Karmarkar (two terms), Sarojini Mahishi (four terms) and sitting MP Joshi (four times), all from the Brahmin community and D K Naiker from Kuruba community. The constituency has around 30,000 Brahmin voters. The dominant Lingayat community supported only Vijay Sankeshwar and other Lingayat candidates including Chandrakanth Bellad, Shankranna Munvalli,Veeranna Mattikatti, B S Patil, Manjunath Kunnur and Vinay Kulkarni were defeated in the previous Lok Sabha elections in this constituency.“As most of the voters in Dharwad are educated, they will not support a candidate by his or her caste but will vote for a strong and efficient government,” said a senior leader.

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