Karnataka Election Results: Border Row, Lingayat Factor Bring Down BJP In 'Little Maharashtra'

Belagavi Election Results: In Belagavi district, the second biggest after Bengaluru, Congress has won 11 seats and BJP seven. BJP had 13 MLAs from the border district in the outgoing Assembly.

Karnataka's 66-year-old border dispute with neighbouring Maharashtra, which flared up ahead of the assembly election, seems to have dented BJP's prospects in the Belagavi district. Of the 18 constituencies in Belagavi district, the second biggest after Bengaluru, Congress has won 11 and BJP 7. In the outgoing assembly, BJP had 13 MLAs and Congress five from the district.

In the 2018 election, BJP had won 10 seats in Belagavi. Three of them — Ramesh Jarkiholi, Srimant Patil and Mahesh Kumthalli — joined the saffron party in 2019.

This election, Congress wrested Kudachi, Belgaum Uttar, Kittur, Saundatti Yellamma and Ramdurg constituencies from the BJP.

Division Of Votes Between MES And BJP Helped Congress In Belagavi

Belagavi district has traditionally been a BJP stronghold. However, the party seems to have failed to retain its Lingayat voter base, and the Congress played its cards right here by giving 10 of 18 tickets to Lingayats in a bid to win over the state's largest community. Six of them were Panchamasalis, the largest subsect of Lingayats.

The district, which was part of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency, constitutes nearly 40 per cent Marathi-speaking population. The BJP faced resentment among Marathi groups after the party replaced a Marathi MLA with a Lingayat leader in Belagavi North.

Moreover, the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES), a pro-Maratha outfit, faced defeat in all the six seats it contested in Belgaum. MES, which has been spearheading the demand to include parts of Belagavi in Maharashtra ever since it was formed in 1946-47, lost in Belgaum South, Belgaum North, Belgaum Rural, Khanapur, Nipani, and Yamkanmardi Assembly constituencies.

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Shubham Shelke, former president of the youth wing of MES, told ABP Live that there was a wave against the BJP this time but a division of votes between MES and the saffron party benefitted the Congress.

"The 40% Marathi-speaking population voted for us. But the youth and first-time voters went with national parties," Shelke, who had contested the 2021 Belagavi Lok Sabha bypoll, said on his party's defeat.

On BJP being down to just seven seats in the district, Shelke said, "BJP faced strong anti-incumbency. The wave was not much in favour of Congress and the fight was mainly between BJP and MES. The votes got divided and Congress benefitted."

The MES leader, however, hoped that with a Congress government in place, it would help them give their due linguistic rights.

'Laxman Savadi Factor Dented BJP's Lingayat Vote Bank'

Another MES leader claimed BJP won votes in Belgaum city region by distributing money a day ahead of polls. Ankush Kesarkar, president of youth wing of Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti, said the defection of former deputy Chief Minister and prominent Lingayat leader Laxman Savadi to Congress dented the chances of the saffron party.

"There was no wave in BJP's favour. Infighting within the BJP was also a major factor. They did not give a ticket to Laxman Savadi and he joined Congress and won. Savadi is an influential leader and his exit may have dented the Lingayat vote bank of the BJP," Kesarkar told ABP Live.

Savadi won the Athani seat in Belagavi district by 76,122 votes over BJP's Mahesh Kumathalli.

MES came close to winning the Belgaum South constituency where its candidate Ramakant Konduskar garnered 64,487 votes while BJP candidate Abhay Patil received 77,094 votes. In Belgaum Uttar, Congress's Asif Sait defeated BJP's Dr Ravi Patil by 4,321 votes.

"Asif Sait did a lot of work through his organisation during the Covid-19 period and helped people with oxygen cylinders and concentrators. He also set up a Covid centre and people voted for him," Kesarkar said.

The Shiv Sena (UBT), which backed the MES, blamed BJP for the division of votes. "It's the first time in the history that BJP and Shiv Sena (Shinde camp) poured money in the election for the defeat of Marathi-speaking candidates," Sena leader Sanjay Raut told reporters.

Kesarkar said BJP did not have any agenda this time and focused on non-issues like Bajrang Bali and Bajrang Dal, which failed to cut ice with voters.

"Congress pivoted its campaign around water, jobs and unemployment. Moreover, there was resentment among people after BJP weaned away 17 MLAs from Congress-JD(S) and formed their government. People were not happy with this," he further said.

The Marathi outfit is now pinning its hopes on the Supreme Court to solve the conflict between Maharashtra and Karnataka over towns and villages situated along the border of the two states.