The Haveri Lok Sabha constituency has a rich political history, being the birthplace of the Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) under the leadership of former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa. However, with Yediyurappa’s return to the BJP, his son B.Y. Vijayendra now serves as the party’s State president.
The constituency underwent significant changes during the delimitation exercise in 2008, altering its demographical composition. It lost the Shiggaon and Kundagol Assembly segments but gained Gadag, Ron, and Shirahatti, impacting political strategies.
Haveri and Gadag, the two districts that make up the constituency, face frequent challenges of drought and flooding. The region struggles with dwindling farm revenue, delayed irrigation projects, and a lack of adequate infrastructure.
The constituency was traditionally represented by Muslim candidates due to the strong presence of the Muslim community. However, post-delimitation, the equations have shifted. Congress, which had faced setbacks fielding Muslim candidates, has opted for non-Muslim candidates in recent elections, including a candidate from the numerically strong Veerashaiva Lingayat community, which the BJP candidate also belongs to.
The BJP has held the seat for the past four consecutive elections, leading to its classification as a “safe bet.” This is one of the reasons why Bommai chose to contest from here in the Lok Sabha election. He received the opportunity when incumbent MP Shivakumar Udasi decided to retire from electoral politics after his father’s passing.
Despite initial resistance, Bommai has managed to gain support from within the party. However, there is concern about potential undercurrents against him. As the former district-in-charge Minister, his focus on his own constituency, Shiggaon, has left voters in other assembly segments feeling neglected. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and other leaders have questioned his contributions to the district during the campaign.
The Congress, under the leadership of its candidate Anandswamy Gaddadevaramath, is mounting a strong challenge. The party is actively campaigning, supported by district-in-charge ministers in both Haveri and Gadag. Numerically, Congress holds a stronger position with MLAs in seven assembly segments, while Bommai is the lone BJP MLA in the constituency.
Bommai is emphasizing the “Modi guarantee” and his work as Chief Minister, while Gaddadevaramath relies on the five “guarantee” schemes of the Karnataka government and the influence of sitting MLAs.
With fourteen candidates in the fray, the main contest is between the nominees of the two national parties. The outcome of this electoral battle will have significant implications for the political landscape in Haveri and Karnataka at large.
