Bengaluru: In Hiriyur assembly constituency in Chitradurga district, a contest is taking shape even before the Election Commission announces the schedule for a byelection. The central question is whether governing Congress can convert the sympathy wave following the death of its MLA D Sudhakar into another electoral victory or whether the BJP-JD(S) alliance will triumph?Sudhakar died on May 10, and the six-month window to hold a bypoll ends on Nov 10, subject to applicable statutory provisions. The election comes close on the heels of NDA sweeping all four seats in the recent legislative council polls, giving the opposition alliance an opportunity to replicate that success in an assembly constituency.For Congress, retaining Hiriyur is a matter of prestige. Chief minister DK Shivakumar, who shared a personal and political relationship with Sudhakar, has commissioned four separate surveys to identify the most suitable candidate. His visit to the constituency Tuesday, accompanied by announcements of development projects worth more than Rs 2,200 crore, underlined how crucial the seat is for govt.Describing Hiriyur as being as important to him as his home constituency Kanakapura, Shivakumar promised additional funding if required. He also recalled Sudhakar’s support for his elevation as CM.NDA faces a bigger immediate challenge: deciding whether BJP or JD(S) should contest the seat. Union minister and JD(S) functionary HD Kumaraswamy has openly staked claim for his party, arguing that it has a strong organisational base in the region. After meeting JD(S) functionaries from Hiriyur and neighbouring constituencies Wednesday, he said he would take up their demand with BJP’s central brass.Meanwhile, BY Vijayendra, who helms BJP’s state unit, said the allies would formulate a strategy and field a consensus candidate. BJP, which finished second in 2023, will have to weigh its electoral claim against JD(S)’s demand.The 2023 results explain the alliance’s confidence. Congress’ Sudhakar won with 92,050 votes (46.2%), defeating BJP candidate K Poornima, who secured 61,728 (31%). JD(S) candidate M Raveendrappa polled 38,686 (19.4%). The combined BJP-JD(S) tally was larger than Congress’ vote. The alliance also believes its success in transferring votes between the two parties in the MLC elections could work to its advantage.Congress has its own ticket dilemma. Sudhakar’s son Suhas is emerging as a frontrunner, but Poornima, who joined Congress in October 2023 after contesting against Sudhakar on a BJP ticket, is another claimant.Daughter of senior Congress functionary A Krishnappa, Poornima is married to DT Srinivas, a Congress MLC who heads KPCC’s OBC department. Srinivas won Hiriyur for BJP in 2018. The couple belong to the Golla community, which is distinct from the Kadugolla community and has a significant presence in the region.BJP also has multiple aspirants, including Rajanna and Abinandan, both from the Kadugolla community. However, the party’s strong performance in 2023 was partly attributed to Poornima’s family influence. JD(S), on the other hand, is exploring a fresh face as Raveendrappa is reportedly no longer active in the constituency.Community equations could ultimately determine the outcome. Hiriyur has sizeable Kadugolla, Kunchitiga Vokkaliga, Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Muslim populations. The reservation demand of the Golla and Kadugolla communities is also likely to figure prominently in the campaign. Shivakumar has promised to pursue the matter with legal experts, saying the Centre had rejected the proposal several times.
