BJP trying to make inroads in Congress bastion Kalyana Karnataka 

Hubbali, May 5 (BPNS)

BJP, which has not been successful in the Kalyana Karnataka region where Congress remained strong, is trying to make inroads into the area.

The Kalyana Karnataka region is the birthplace of AICC president and senior Congress leader, Mallikarjun Kharge who is camping in the region to prevent the saffron brigade’s attempt in winning seats.

The region comprising Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur ,Koppal and Vijayanagara districts have stood with the Congress. The Kalyana Karnataka region has given birth to two former Chief Ministers of Karnataka, late Veerendra Patil and N. Dharam Singh and Congress has a major presence in the region.

While Kalyana Karnataka region has not witnessed major defections, mining baron and former Minister,  Janardhan Reddy has formed his own political outfit, Karnataka Rajya Pragati Paksha (KRPP) which, however, may not make major inroads except in certain pockets in Koppal district as also in some constituencies of Ballari district.

 One of the major issues BJP is trying to rake up in the region is that the Ladle Mashak Dargah in Aland in Kalaburagi district was a Hindu temple.  The controversial Sri Rama Sena of Pramod Muthalik has been active in the area campaigning that the Dargah was formed by converting the original Hindu temple. 

Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman has campaigned in the constituency and raked up the issue of Ladle Mashak Dargah. The BJP leadership of Karnataka has also brought in Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath and he has also touched the subject.

Mohammed Abdulla Hashim , a trader in Kalaburagi while speaking to BPNS said, “Kalaburagi and for that matter Kalyana Karnataka has been an area of communal harmony. Some people are trying to rake up certain non-existent issues and BJP seems to have supported them. This will lead to some sort of uncertainty to the people of the area and everyone should refrain from that.”

The Kalyana town in Bidar district was the birthplace of social reformer and poet Basaveshwara. The iconic spiritual figure of the powerful Lingayat community was born here and Kalyana town is renamed as Basava Kalyana.