Coastal assembly seats: A hot issue for Congress?

Bengaluru: It is a foregone conclusion that the BJP thrives on the eight assembly segments in the Dakshina Kannada parliamentary constituency on the Hindutva issues. This political aberration has now spread to Udupi and Uttara Kannada as well. Which was why out of 24 assembly seats on the coastal district the Congress could get only 3. -Mangalore city (Ullal), Khanapur and Haliyal in Uttara Kannada.

Does this send a signal to the Congress party that they too must woo the Hindu votes in big numbers, to improve the 'winnability' of the Congress candidates?

Political pundits on the coast reply in affirmation. It is certain that due to the polarisation in 2018 assembly elections and 2019 Parliamentary elections things have gone against the Congress, but there is still time for the Congress to balance things. If Congress has to do creditably it must field Hindu candidates within the Congress party in Dakshina Kannada mainly from Bunt and Billava community candidates who can turn the tables against Hindutva politics.

A senior political analyst in the BJP eco-system told The Hans India - why Congress is not also thinking in terms of Hindu candidates is a matter that still could not be gauged by even the BJP analysts and leaders. In the present situation in Dakshina Kannada Congress could not have done better in committing political hara-kiri on the coast by not fielding Hindu candidates in two key assembly constituencies - Mangaluru North (Surathkal) and Mangaluru South.

A political thinker in the Mangaluru University political science department told The Hans India on conditions of anonymity, "whoever said Mangalore North was a Muslim constituency must look into the history and the demographic features of the constituency. Only once - in 2013 a Muslim candidate has won from there (Mohideen Bava) this does not qualify for the Congress or the Muslims to claim it as a traditional seat for Muslims. It is different matter in Mangalore city (Ullal) as many Muslim candidates have won there multiple times such as UT Fareed, BM Idinabba and UT Khader.

This also goes well with the Mangalore South as only once a Christian candidate has won from here in 2013 JR Lobo. If Congress wanted to placate the Muslim and Christian minorities just by fielding them from these two constituencies they have to forget the 'winnability' factor. At the present times when the Congress is aiming at winning 120 plus seats in 2023, every seat counts which is the bottom line. The experts say.

Monday is an eventful day as the senior leaders of Muslims from the Congress party Rehman Khan and Salim Ahmed will hold meetings with the Congress aspiring candidates in a closed-door discussion.