Karwar: The Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during his Uttara Kannada district tour had promised Congress tickets to all its sitting MLAs and is hoping to win all the six constinucies in the district.
In 2013 state assembly elections, the Congress had won in three constinucies, independents in two and ruling BJP in one seat (Sirsi-Siddapur constituency). Later, However, both independent MLAs joined the Congress. All the five MLAs from the Congress are confident of getting tickets. But in Sirsi-Siddapur constituency, there are two aspirants and it has become a big challenge for the Congress to decide whom to give ticket.
Both aspirants i.e Bheemanna Naik and Congress veteran leader Margaret Alva’s son Nivedith Alva have their own charisma in the party. As both of are confident of getting party ticket, they have started campaigning in the constituency. It has become a tough task for the party to select the candidate here. Therefore, the party observers and its screening committee had visited the constituency to elicit the opinion of ground-level workers and voters.
Bheemanna Naik belongs to Namadhari community, which is a dominant community in the constituency. He has been an active worker of the party for the last 20 years. Naik said: “I have good support from the party and my community people. Even the party leaders are willing to give me a ticket. Therefore, I will get a ticket and win the election against former minister and BJP leader Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri.”
Nivedith Alva said from last three generations, they have been working for the party. “I am getting good support from the party as well as from the people of the constituency. There will be ticket aspirants in every constituency and the party will decide whom to issue ticket,” he said and expressed hope that he will be given a ticket by the party. Both groups have actively started campaigning in the constituency. Both the leaders have separate groups and supporters. After finalising the ticket, one group may not support the other or will remain inactive during the election.
According to political experts, the BJP and JD(S) candidates in the constituency are from Brahmin community, which is the second dominant community in the constituency. There is no candidates from Namadhari community, which is dominant here. If ticket is issued to a candidate belonging to Namadhari, it will be easy to win in the constituency after two decades. Otherwise, the party will have to struggle to register its footprint here.
However, both aspirants are confident of getting ticket. They say they will obey the decision of the party. Apart from caste calculation, 49 per cent of the voters are youngsters (in the age group of 20 to 39) and their votes will decide the victory of the candidate. The candidates need to concentrate on youngsters.