Karnataka Election: Varuna Constituency Is No Longer a Battlefield
The BJP’s decision not to field Yeddyurappa’s son Vijayendra has pulled the curtains on the anticipated showdown.
advertisement
Until the last week of April, all eyes were on Varuna constituency in the Old Mysore region. The first sons of Karnataka politics, Siddaramaiah’s son Yathindra and Yeddyurappa’s son Vijayendra, were expected to take each other on in this seat. But the BJP’s sudden decision not to field Vijayendra pulled the curtains on this big showdown.
Although the decision came as a shock to many in the BJP, and even resulted in some of the workers vandalising a BJP office, in the villages of Varuna, this decision was not a surprise. They knew that Vijayendra, who had failed to show up at the constituency enough, even though the election was less than a month away, was not a serious candidate.
‘The Doctor’ Is Now in a Strong Position
From a high-profile contest, the fate of Varuna has become a rather predictable exercise. Yathindra Siddaramaiah, known to the villagers as ‘the doctor’, has already become a household figure. Regardless of party affiliations, the villagers agree that Yathindra has worked in the constituency for over a year. His work in the constituency, supported by his father’s popularity, gives the Congress hope of a walkover in Varuna.
The BJP has fielded a hotelier from Narasipura, T Basavaraj, as their candidate. Since 2008, Basavaraj has been seeking a ticket, but the BJP had denied his request. Even though he sat on a protest before the 2013 election for a ticket, his candidature was rejected. Congress leaders allege that fielding a man they turned down in the past was an attempt to divert votes to the JD(S).
The JD(S) has fielded a Lingayat candidate, Abhishek, and the creation of the new Lingayat religion has been a poll issue for this young politician. He hopes to turn the anger among the Lingayat community in his favour.
Can Caste Equations Can Still Play Spoilsport?
Although the Congress is perceived to be in an advantageous position, political observers continue to number crunch the caste equations in the constituency. They feel that a JD(S)- BJP agreement to merge the Vokkaliga and Lingayat vote banks could play spoilsport for the Congress.
While the Kurubas, SC, ST and OBCs are traditional Congress vote banks, the BJP enjoys the backing of the Lingayats and the JD(S) has the support of the Vokkaliags. According to Congress leaders, the BJP and JD(S) has come to an agreement to support each other. The joint Lingayat-Vokkaligas vote bank combined with anti-incumbency feelings, observers believe that it is not going to be a cakewalk for the Congress.
But for the villagers in Varuna, these calculations mean nothing.
We Didn’t Make the Caste List, Politicians Did
Varuna constituency is made up of 122 villages and 2 towns. The constituency is named after Varuna village, located in the outskirts of the Mysuru, with little over 500 families.
On a hot summer afternoon at the village square, a group of villagers had gathered. The topic of discussion was not politics, but when Siddaramaiah’s name was mentioned, everyone was alert... even a man who had seemed fast asleep in the shade.
“Yes, this used to be the Chief Minister’s constituency, but there so much more to be done here. Now his son has taken over, let’s see if something will change,” said 42-year-old Nagaraj, a farmer.
Nagaraj is a Vokkaliga, but he says his vote is undecided. When asked about the trend of the Vokkaligas voting for JD(S), Nagaraj said: “I want to know who made this list of how many Vokkaligas or Lingayats are in which villages. Did the villagers do it? No. The politicians did it. For us, there is no question of caste, what matters for us is the person,” he said.
According to him, the village’s main requirement is the completion of the construction of the village lake and the canals supplying water to the village. “Politicians create the perception that communities are voting for certain parties and many fall for it as well. But for us, getting our work done matters. Only if water comes into the canals can I farm. So, I will vote the man capable of getting the work done,” he added.
Out of Options But Not Complaining
Standing next to the village’s government-installed water purifier, Melahalli village resident Anu Kumar declared that he had voted for the BJP in the last election.
The perception that Siddaramaiah helped people from only certain communities was the rationale behind his decision then, but the water purifier installed in the village has been of big help to his family.
Kumar was unaware of credentials of the new BJP candidate, but he had seen Yathindra in his village several times. “As person, Yathindra is a gentleman. He is available to the people here and has come to our village at least 10 times in the last one year. He is a good person,” he said.
Does that mean he will vote for Yathindra? The answer was smile and simple shrug of the shoulders.
In Varuna, the big question is not whether will Yathindra win, but whether the decision to leave Varuna for Chamudeshwari will cost CM Siddaramaiah dearly.