Cong rues lost opportunity in Shikaripur

BANGALORE: Chief minister Siddaramaiah said on Monday that with a little more effort, the Congress could have snapped up the Shikaripur assembly seat too. Strangely, the BJP shares the same opinion and is relieved that Congress has let go the opportunity of a lifetime.
While Congress tasted success by a huge margin in Chikkodi-Sadalga and Bellary Rural, it lost Shikaripur by a slender margin of 6,430 votes, leaving former CM BS Yeddyurappa smarting at the result even though son BY Raghavendra won eventually.
Of the three constituencies, Siddaramaiah had taken Bellary Rural seriously and put energy minister DK Shivakumar in charge. Assuming Shikaripur would be too tough a challenge as Yeddyurappa would leave no stone unturned, the Congress concentrated on Bellary Rural and Chikkodi-Sadalga.
A leader of the BJP youth wing, who spoke on condition of anonymity, was assigned to Shikaripur and feels the Congress may well have won at if it had slogged little more. In 2013, Yeddyurappa won against HS Shanthaveerappa Gowda by over 60,000 votes. Hence, it was a huge disappointment for the BJP leader who said he wasn’t happy with the victory margin.
The constituency is dominated by Sadar Lingayat sect, followed by Lambanis, Muslims, Kurubas and scheduled castes. If a candidate bags the support of Sadar Lingayats and Lambanis, it’s almost certain he’ll win. “This time, with secular forces coming together (Congress and JDS) , which had not happened all these years, Congress was able to come close to the winning post,” JD(S) leader H T Baligar said.
Congress appeared to have taken Shikaripur seriously only a few days before polling day. Siddaramaiah sought the support of Baligar, who had bagged 26,000 votes in 2013.
Two days prior to the election, independent candidate Goolihatti Shekhar retired from the contest to support the Congress. The CM also deputed his trusted lieutenant and public works development minister HC Mahadevappa to work out the caste combination.
Asked about the slender margin, Raghavendra said there’s a difference between him and his father. “I am not Yeddyurappa. I have a long way to go before I rise to his stature. But I’m hopeful the constituency will come back to the glorious days of the BJP,” he said.
According to sources, the voters’ message is that while they preferred a BJP government headed by Narendra Modi at the Centre, it was comfortable with the Congress in the state and for this the Grand Old Party should make an extra effort to gain their confidence.