After Dharwad entry ban upheld, Kulkarni adopts digital campaigning

Former Congress minister Vinay Kulkarni has gone digital with his campaign after a special court upheld the ban on him entering the Dharwad district.

Kulkarni is the Congress' Dharwad candidate.

Mining baron Gali Janardan Reddy is also barred by the court from entering Ballari district till further orders, which prompted him to contest from the Gangavathi constituency.

Kulkarni, accused in the murder of BJP leader Yogeeshgouda Goudar, is also facing charges of destroying evidence.

After undergoing jail term for nine months, the Supreme Court granted Kulkarni conditional bail and he was barred from entering Dharwad district.

While Congress discussed making Kulkarni contest against Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai from Shiggaon, he succeeded in getting the Dharwad ticket hoping that the court will relax the bail condition and permit him to enter the district for campaigning. The special court rejected his plea.

Kulkarni’s wife Shivaleela is leading the campaign and meeting voters along with his supporters. The campaigners are trying to play the victim card and get voters’ sympathy. They are claiming that Kulkarni was falsely indicted in the Yogeeshgouda murder case for political reasons.

Four vehicles fitted with LED screens have been deployed in the constituency and Kulkarni is holding live video meetings with the voters and community leaders.

According to sources, Kulkarni has rented a house in Kittur, 28 km from Dharwad. He is inviting elders of the constituency and workers to plan the electioneering.

Anand Singhnath, campaign organiser for Kulkarni told DH that the former minister was hoping that the court would allow him to enter the district at least till the elections are over. Now that his plea had been rejected, digital campaigning is the next option, Anand said.

Vinay will be live from 11 am till 2 pm and from 4 pm till 6.30 pm and interact with voters through video conference.

However, the digital campaign has not gone well with the voters in the constituency.

Ramappagouda Goudar from Dharwad rural said that the people here have not voted for any outsider. There is a strong belief that outsiders after winning election turn their back and never visit constituency. People in Kalghatgi experienced it in 2013. The same situation should not arise here. What if Kulkarni getting elected and continues to remain outside the constituency? People will suffer and the developmental works gets hampered, he said.