Ceding Udupi-Chikmagalur seat: Cong leaders unhappy

The decision to leave Udupi-Chikmagalur constituency to JD(S) has not gone down well with Congress leaders in Udupi.

Udupi DCC President Ashok Kumar Kodavoor demanded the high command to retain the seat for the party.

JD(S) has no elected representatives in the panchayat-level and is not active at the block-level as well. While the Congress workers are active at the booth-level. The Parivarthana Yatre organised at Udupi on March 10 was attended by a huge number of people which is an example of the Congress’ popularity in the region, he said.

He said, “There is conducive atmosphere for the Congress to win the constituency.”

The calculations of the district Congress is not totally in favour of the coalition decision to field the JD(S) candidate.

“We are totally unhappy with the decision of party’s high command’. Chikmagalur had given a political rebirth to former Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi and the party has a deep emotional connectivity with the consistency.”

AICC member Amrit Shenoy said, “The JD(S) has no existence in Udupi district. I will discuss it will senior leaders.”

While former minister Pramod Madhwaraj said, “Coalition is give and take policy. In seat sharing, the party sometimes has to take a strong decision. To adhere to the coalition principles, we have to be ready for sacrifice. Disciplined workers will not question the decision of the high command.”

In fact, JD(S) has not won any Lok Sabha polls in Udupi-Chikmagalur constituency till now. In 2009, the JD(S) had not contested while in 2014 Lok Sabha polls and in 2012 by-election, the JD(S) was in third position in securing votes.

The Udupi-Chikmagalur constituency covers eight assembly segments and has no JD(S) MLAs. JD(S) representatives have not won in Urban Local Bodies polls held in Udupi. In the last 16 Lok Sabha elections, Congress has won 11 times in Udupi (erstwhile Udupi Lok Sabha constituency).

The Congress had also won by-election held in 2012. Oscar Fernandes had won five times from the constituency from 1980 to 1996.

After the delimitation of the constituency and formation of Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituency, the constituency has seen three Lok Sabha polls including a by-election.

Going by the statistics in 2009 election, BJP had won 4 lakh votes, Congress 3.74 lakh votes while JD(S) had not contested the election.

In 2012 by-election, the Congress had won 3.98 lakh votes, BJP—3.52 lakh votes while JD(S) had secured 72,080 votes.

In the 16th Lok Sabha election held in 2014, BJP had secured 5.81 lakh, Congress—3.99 lakh and JD(S)—14,895 votes.

In 2018 Assembly elections, BJP had won a total of 2.65 lakh votes in Sringeri, Tarikere, Mudigere and Chikmagalur constituencies while Congress had won 2.07 lakh votes, and JD(S)—84,000 votes. While in Udupi distirct Assembly constituencies (Karkala, Kaup, Udupi and Kundapura)—BJP had won a total of 3.55 lakh votes, Congress—2.32 lakh votes while JD(S), which contested from Udupi and Kundapura, had secured 4,000 votes.