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As the election fever soars, the Kanakapura assembly seat, locals say, is a one-sided fight, which Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar is expected to win against senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Karnataka minister R Ashoka, even if the former does not campaign extensively across the constituency.
News18 travelled through the constituency to understand how the high-profile fight is panning out.
LOCALSPEAK
Around 70 km from Bengaluru is Kanakapura, considered a fortress of Shivakumar, a seven-time MLA.
“This time, like every other, D K Shivakumar sahebru will win. He has done so much for us, he has built houses and roads for us. We do not know who R Ashoka is. He has come from some other place,” says Prashanth, who has been driving an autorickshaw for the past decade in Kanakapura.
“Not just today, for the next 15 years, only D K Shivakumar will win, no matter who contests against him. He is our rock and this is his place,” says Appu, a fruit vendor, who found it quite interesting that Ashoka was selected to fight against his favourite DKS.
He adds that the people of Kanakapura have seen a lot of development and building of amenities since Shivakumar got elected from the assembly seat.
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“Even if the prime minister comes here or if Modi contests from here, he will not win against D K Shivakumar,” says Prashanth Gowda, another resident.
“This is a fortress of the Congress, nobody can take it away from them,” said Lokesh, a sugarcane grower and vendor.
BJP’s WELL-PLANNED MOVE?
Many in the BJP camp feel the decision to field Ashoka against Shivakumar is a well-planned move, which could majorly dent the margin of the Congress leader, if not win against him. Ashoka has taken up the task given to him by the party high command to contest from two seats — Padmanabhnagar and Kanakapura.
Admitting it is a big fight, but a tough one, he told News18: “Those who want Modi will vote for the BJP and me.”
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The BJP decided to field Ashoka, who has also served as the deputy CM in the 2012 BS Yediyurappa government, to strengthen its base in this seat, which also falls in the Old Mysore region, which the party has set its sights on.
The BJP and right-wing activists held protests in Kanakapura in 2020 to oppose the construction of a Jesus statue in the region. This was seen as a major step for the BJP to gain ground in a region, where they were non-existent.
VOTE SHARE HAS INCREASED
Even as Shivakumar battles a disproportionate assets case, and has even spent time in jail in a money laundering case, among others, locals say they only care about the work he has done for them, not his court cases.
Shivakumar exudes confidence: “I am not the candidate from Kanakapura. There is a D K Shivakumar in every home here and they will vote for me and make me win.”
Over the years Shivakumar has not only won the hearts of his constituents, but his vote share has also been increasing since 2008. In the last election, his opponent JDS’s Narayan Gowda polled 47,643 votes, while the Congress leader was far ahead with 1,27,552 votes.
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His team, which has been planning his visit across the state, says that the leader will campaign in the constituency for one day and people say that is enough.
People’s sentiments towards DKS are summed up by Appu. “Even if Shivakumar comes and just waves at us, we will all vote for him wholeheartedly.”
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