In Athani, politics has come a full circle. Laxman Savadi and Mahesh Kumathalli who contested for the BJP and Congress respectively in 2018, are facing each other again. But this time, they will be contesting from the parties they opposed in the previous election.
In the fierce contest, Kumathalli defeated Savadi by a margin of 2,330 votes. But the political atmosphere and factors influencing the results are different in 2023. Kumathalli was one among the 17 MLAs who joined the BJP , triggering the collapse of HD Kumaraswamy-led JDS-Congress government in 2019. It was Savadi who facilitated Kumathalli’s defection. Kumathalli won the by election from Athani in 2019.
The reward for his role in getting the BJP to power, Savadi believes ,is a ticket from Athani; when denied, the former deputy chief minister joined the Congress.
While Kumathalli is counting on the large Lingayat vote bank in the constituency remaining loyal to the BJP, Savadi, also a prominent Lingayat leader, says he is fighting for self-respect. According to him, the party used him to gain power and later dumped him.
For Savadi, the Athani contest will be a test of popularity. He also has some influence in nearly 20 constituencies in North Karnataka and also in assembly segments bordering Maharashtra.
The outsider factor
Ooru katte –an elevated platform usually located near the largest trees at the centre of the village — is a popular hangout in Karnataka’s villages. In Kohalli village, Channappa Goudappa Biradar is not happy that mobile phones have made their way to the katte, which was otherwise reserved for a good chat. If there is something that irritates him more, it is the prospect of going to Gokak to get work done.
Gokak, located 75 km away from Athani, is the political headquarters of BJP leader Ramesh Jarkiholi, on whose insistence Kumathalli was chosen over Savadi. “Let’s be clear about one thing. On paper, it could be an election between Kumathalli and Savadi. But for us, it is an election between Jarkiholi and Savadi,” said Biradar.
Ramesh Jarkiholi remains a powerful political force in the region. He played a key role in the defection of about 14 Congress and JD(S) MLAs, including himself, to the BJP. He was duly rewarded by giving control over the government’s affairs in Belagavi.
Even though Kumathalli is from Athani, he is considered an outsider. Nanjnappa Adahalli, a resident of Adahalli said the MLA spent most of his time in his house in Belagavi city around 140 km. “He has not visited us. Even if he comes , he goes to Gokak. Savadi has helped us even when he was not an MLA. We want someone who is available to us.”
The equation of irrigation
Badshah Imam Shah and Mahadev Venkat Rao of Adahalli village have been friends for decades and have seen their village grow over the year. For them, the biggest change in their village happened after an irrigation canal was constructed in their village in 2009. “All the greenery you saw on your way here happened after the canal came,” said Rao. “It was Savadi who gave us water. So, whether he contests from BJP or Congress, we will vote for him. This time, the BJP has done injustice to him. You will see the impact of it soon,” added Shah.
Savadi is counting on such goodwill to counter Jarkiholi’s political clout and ‘wealth’. A villager from Yekanchi village said that even though Jarkiholi announced that he would spend even ₹6,000 per person to influence voters, it would not change his decision. “Savukar (Savadi) gave us water. ₹6,000 may last for a month or two, but if water continues to come, we can have two rounds of crops every year,” said the villager, who didn’t want to be named.
Savadi’s campaign
Savadi, who was the party’s choice to become the deputy chief minister, when BJP decided to appoint people to the post from three prominent castes – Lingayat, Vokkaliga and Dalit — is still upset with the party’s decision to deny him a ticket. “It was a decision made because of pressure from Ramesh Jarkiholi, who is backing Mahesh Kumatahalli. Before announcing the candidates, the party conducted an internal survey, which showed that Mahesh Kumtahalli would lose. Even I asked an agency to conduct a survey. They said I had more than 60% chance of winning whereas he had around 20% chance,” said Savadi.
According to him, his decision to approach people even before the ticket announcement has helped him build support. “In 2008, I won by 26,000 votes, in 2013 I won by a margin of around 21,000 votes. I lost by 2300 votes in 2018. There is a reason for the defeat, I was given a lot of party-related work and was asked to campaign extensively in several areas. I couldn’t pay attention to my constituency. Because I thought I would get a ticket (this time), I started visiting all villages and communities in my constituency admitting to my mistake in the last election and asking for another chance. They appreciated it,” he said.
When the BJP decided against giving him a ticket, he says he went back to the same villages and communities. “When realised that the BJP had cheated me, I held meetings across my constituency. I proposed contesting as an independent or looking at joining Congress. They said I should join Congress since there was a chance of doing good work for the constituency if there was support from the government,” he said.
The numbers game
The assembly segment comprises around 2.20 lakh voters, of which around a lakh are Lingayats. There are also around 40,000 Marathas, 30,000 who belong to the scheduled castes and 28,000 are from the Muslim community. With both Savadi and Kumathalli belonging to the Lingayat community, it remains to be seen which way will the voters go.
The BJP camp in Athani is confident that the Lingayat vote bank will stay loyal. “Athani has always been a BJP stronghold and people have voted for the party regardless of the candidate. An example is the by election after 2019. Even though Kumathalli had come from Congress, the voters remained loyal . The Lingayats here know that even if they vote for Congress, a Kuruba will become the Chief Minister but BJP will ensure that a Lingayat will be the CM,” said a district office-bearer of the BJP, who didn’t want to be named. Congress leader and former chief minister Siddaramiah is a Kuruba.
Kumathalli said that people will back him for the work he has done. “The voters of BJP in Athani are united. The party has given me a chance to contest in the election. I’m confident of a win because, during my term as an MLA, I have carried out work worth over ₹2,000 crores,” he said.
Basavangouda Biradar, gram panchayat member in Aihalli, who earlier supported BJP said that the election in Athani is no longer about Lingayats but self-respect. “What they (BJP) did to Savadi, who is also a Lingayat leader and popular, is not right. He has people’s sympathy and it will convert to votes.”
