Bengaluru Rural: Will Manjunath pose challenge for DK brothers in stronghold?
Bengaluru Rural has become a seat coveted by both Congress and NDA as it is currently held by DK Suresh and is being contested by BJP-JDS candidate Dr Manjunath
In Karnataka, the 2019 elections marked a seismic shift as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — riding the “Modi wave” — secured 25 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Amid this overwhelming victory, one constituency stood as a bastion for the Congress party — Bengaluru Rural. Defying the tide, Congress not only retained this seat but did so with a resounding margin of over 200,000 votes.
As the electoral calendar flips to 2024, Bengaluru Rural emerges as a seat coveted by both the Congress and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Beyond being an addition to the tally, winning this constituency has taken on the weight of prestige for both sides.
The seat is currently held by DK Suresh, younger brother of Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar. For the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, who is nursing ambitions of becoming the next CM, retaining his home turf is crucial.
The BJP and the Janata Dal (Secular), or JD(S), on the other hand, are hoping for a vote transfer to secure victory, as the simple addition of their vote shares (sans the nuances of local politics) gives them a clear lead, delivering a hard blow to Shivakumar.
While the Congress considers this seat their bastion, the entry of a new candidate, DR CN Manjunath, who is popular for making cardiac treatment affordable in the state and also being the son-in-law of JD(S) patriarch HD Deve Gowda, will make victory a challenge for the DK brothers in their bastion.
A local JD(S) leader from Kunigal Shanu Gowda said, “In the last two elections, there was no contest here. BJP candidates couldn’t match the influence the DK brothers have in the region, after all, they are from here (Kanakpura). But this time, people are thinking. The doctor (Manjunath) is a household name and there will be at least one person in each segment who might have benefited from his work. They know he is a good man, who doesn’t want money or power, and only wants to help.”
Manjunath believes that his track record of medical service will help him win the elections, but he is counting on the “mathematics of the constituency” also. In 2014, Congress emerged victorious with 6,52,723 votes, representing 44.85% of the total, while BJP got 4,21,243 votes (28.95%) and JD(S) secured 3,17,870 votes (21.84%). The combined vote share of BJP and JD(S) amounted to 7,39,113 (50.78%).
In 2019, when Congress and JD(S) joined hands, DK Suresh’s lead increased to 8,78,258 votes, constituting 54.15% of the total, while BJP secured 6,71,388 votes (41.40%).
“In the 2019 poll, when JD(S) was with the Congress, and the BJP contested alone their candidate won 6.7 lakh votes. Congress won and the Congress-JD(S) alliance won 54.15% votes. Now with the JD(S) and BJP joining with the love the people have for me, we are going to win. There is no doubt,” said Manjunath.
Even though the doctor is from the Gowda family, the decision to field as a BJP candidate is a reflection of the NDA’s calculations for the seat. Unlike the other seats in the region, Bengaluru Rural has a complex cluster of segments ranging from rural agrarian heartlands in Kunigal, Channapatna, Ramanagara, Magadi, and Kanakapura taluks to the bustling IT hub of electronics city and Rajarajeshwari Nagar in Bengaluru. “The BJP has a strong presence in the urban pockets and both Assembly segments are held by the BJP. To appeal to this vote bank, Manjunath has joined BJP instead of JD(S),” said a senior JD(S) leader on condition of being anonymous.
But the ground reality is not as simple as the mathematics. The DK brothers are adamant about winning the seat and have invested in development work in the constituency over the past 10 years. “Not just in every assembly segment, but in every Taluk and village, I have implemented projects ranging from lake rejuvenation, drinking water supply, and other works over the years. People are aware of this well. The reason we have won five of the eight Assembly segments in the region is because of the work we have done,” said DK Suresh.
But the “work” is not limited to development. Since the polls were announced, the JD(S) has been crying foul claiming the DK brothers have been distributing pressure cookers and other household items to voters. Income Tax officials even issued notice to a leading home appliances manufacturer seeking details of its production and distribution of pressure cookers following these allegations. According to local NDA leaders, this alleged distribution began as early as a year ago. DK Suresh, however, dismissed these allegations, saying it was an attempt to misguide the people about the good work he has done over the years.
The Congress has been campaigning, portraying CN Manjunath as an “outsider” and city dweller, who doesn’t know the constituency. Moreover, the grassroot-level network of the Congress is stronger than the other two parties. “First of all, Manjunath didn’t want to contest the election and when he did, he wanted to contest in Bengaluru north, but because Yediyurappa wanted Shobha (Karandlaje) in there. He was asked to come here. More than that DK Shivakumar is going to be the next CM from Vokkaliga community, so the community will rally behind him,” said Srinivas Gowda, a Congress leader from Magadi.
But, what could work in the Congress’s favour are women voters in the constituency. For every 1,000 men, there are 966 women voters in the constituency, who have been the beneficiaries of Congress’ guarantee schemes such as Gruha Lakshmi ( ₹2,000 for women heads of families), Shakti (free bus service for women), and Gruha Jyothi (free electricity up to 200 units).
“These schemes helped us to have enough money to run our home when the prices of everything were shooting up. We didn’t have to depend on the men for everything,” said Gowri Lakshmi, a 52-year-old voter from Ramanagaram, who says her vote will stay with Congress, even though she thinks PM Modi is a good leader.
