Abhijith N Kolpe

Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Feb 16: As elections are just around the corner in the state, Dakshina Kannada district is expected to have tough fight on its hands. The Congress is mulling to field right candidate to fight the BJP MLA’s in six constituencies.

In 2013, the Congress dominated Dakshina Kannada winning 7 seats except the Sullia constituency. However in 2018, the BJP wrested the seats held by the Congress by winning 7 seats except the Mangaluru constituency which was retained by U T Khader.

The elections to the state Assembly is about two months away and the BJP is eyeing to wrest the Mangaluru constituency which has been a fortress of the Congress for a long time. The Congress party on the other hand is confident that it will not only retain the seat but also wrest the other seats from the BJP in the State and Dakshina Kannada.

From 1957 to 2008, today’s Mangaluru constituency was known by the name Ullal constituency. Since 1957, Mangaluru constituency has been a Congress stronghold as the party has won 12 times out of 15 elections that have been held during this period while BJP’s Jayaram Shetty had won the seat in 1994 by polling 24,412 votes.

Khader has been winning the Mangaluru constituency since 2007 and will be eyeing his 5th term in the 2023 elections, Khader had won the seat for the first time in 2007 in a by-election.

During his term as an MLA during this period, Khader has remained a non-controversial and a no-nonsense law-maker representing the Mangaluru constituency. He has been leading from the front at Ullal. Under his leadership Mangaluru has been completely transformed. Khader has gained confidence among the people of Ullal that has turned out to be a tough seat to win for the BJP. In 2018, it was Khader who managed to defeat the BJP by a margin of 19,109 votes.

During the Congress tenure, Khader served as a minister for health and family welfare, food, civil supplies and consumer affairs.

Despite several allegations against him in recent times, Khader has remained calm and composed in handling any kind of situation that goes against him.

This time the BJP is likely to field among others probables that include Santhosh Kumar Boliyar, Sathish Kumpala and also Sharan Pumpwell in a direct flight against Khader in Mangaluru constituency.

Sharan Pumpwell recently delivered a statement terming Ullal as a sleeper cell of terrorism and Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat compared Ullal to Pakistan, At the same time RSS leaders and Hindu activists want a non-Muslim MLA to represent Mangaluru constituency for which the BJP will pull out all stops to field a strong candidate against Khader who is eyeing his record fourth term as a MLA of the constituency.

All eyes are also riveted on SDPI who have yet to announce their candidate for the Mangaluru constituency. They have already announced their candidates for three constituencies of Dakshina Kannada recently, Shafi Bellare's name was announced for Puttur constituency in 2023. In 2013, Mohammed Akram Hassan had contested on a SDPI ticket in Mangaluru constituency bagging only 4,808 votes against Khader's 69,450 votes.

The SDPI already has 60 gram panchayat members, 6 councillors which has boosted their confidence to contest the Assembly elections. If SDPI fields a candidate for Mangaluru constituency then it is likely to be tough fight for Khader.

Results in 2018

U T Khader (Cong) 80,813

Santhosh Kumar Rai (BJP) 61,704

Results in 2013

U T Khader (Cong) 69,450 votes

Chandrahas Ullal (BJP) 40,339 votes

Record in Ullal-Mangaluru constituency

Total Elections - 15
Congress - 12
CPI, CPIM - 2 (1962 and 1983)
BJP - 1 (1994)