It’s do or die situation for Congress in Chincholi and Kundagol with the contest against BJP’s Avinash Jadhav and SI Chikkanagowdar against Congress’ Subhash Rathod and Kusumvathi Shivalli.
The Congress party in Karnataka is in do or die situation in Karnataka by-polls to be held in the state to be conducted soon. Campaigns are on the go for Congress. The state will go to by-polls on may 19. Chincholi fell vacant after Umesh Jadhav resigned from the seat deciding to contest with the BJP ticket while Kundagol was vacant after the death of the legislator C.S. Shivalli. The Congress thus fielded his wife Kusumavathi Shivalli from the seat.
Avinash Jadhav is Umesh Jadhav’s son contesting from Chincholi. the BJP however seems confident of winning the seats. There are however differences between the nominees for by-polls within the party. MR Patil of BJP was upset that he was denied the ticket and Chikkanagowdar had filed the nomination in the seat.
BJP insiders however report of a sympathy wave for Congress within the people with regard to the Lingayat votes. in the general elections that were conducted Karnataka’s Lingayat votes were hoped to favour Congress party. “With the then Congress government taking proactive steps to recommend minority religion status for Lingayats just ahead of assembly elections, it obviously became a poll issue,” said GB Patil, national gen. secy, Jagathika Lingayat Mahasabha.