Poll activities yet to gain pace in Mumbai-Karnataka

The poll fever is yet to catch up in the Bombay-Karnataka region.

While the Congress is trying to retain its hold over the region, the BJP is making all efforts to conquer a maximum number of seats. The JD(S), which managed to win only one seat in the entire region in the 2013 elections, is leaving no stone unturned to increase its presence.

Of the total 51 Assembly segments, spread across Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Gadag, Haveri, Belagavi and Dharwad districts, the Congress won 34 seats in the previous elections, while the BJP won 16. The JD (S) had emerged victorious in the remaining one seat (Navalgund in Dharwad district).

Although the BJP claims that there is an anti-incumbency factor working against the ruling party in the region, the Congress is confident that people would vote in its favour, considering welfare schemes and irrigation projects implemented by the government. The JD(S) is looking forward to get more votes this year and claims that people are fed up of false promises made by both the BJP and the Congress.

Consecutive droughts and scarcity of drinking water are the two major problems people in the region have been facing for several years. Irrigation projects might have quenched the thirst of people in a few districts, but the problem still exists in many other parts.

Mahadayi issue, the lack of industrial growth, unemployment problem, failure to exploit immense tourism potentiality among other issues are likely to impact the polls. There are also region-specific problems like the linguistic issue and sugar growers' problem in Belagavi district.

The Veerashaiva-Lingayat religion issue is likely to have an impact on the poll prospects of political parties, especially in Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Gadag and Dharwad as political leaders and religious heads from these districts have been in the forefront of the movement.

This is for the first time that national leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, BJP president Amit Shah, and JD(S) state president H D Kumarswamy are frequently visiting the region, which is the stronghold of the Congress. The BJP and the JD(S) are trying their best to end the Congress' dominance over the region.

The election activities, however, are yet to gather pace as the ticket aspirants are waiting for their respective parties to announce candidates.