Bengaluru North: A constituency which elects non-locals

Bengaluru: The Bengaluru North Lok Sabha constituency, which has been renamed and redistributed several times, has given three Union Ministers and allowed two former Chief Ministers to become MPs. BJP has been dominant in this field since 2004, as this constituency has witnessed the defeat and victory of big leaders.

Congress’s Keshav Iyengar, who won the first election in 1952, represented this constituency twice, while former Chief Minister Kengal Hanumantiah, builder of Vidhana Soudha, was a three-time MP from the same constituency and also worked as a Union Minister.

He especially served as Railway Minister.

Similarly, CK Jaffar Sharief, who was the Member of Parliament for Bengaluru North Constituency for 7 times, also handled various portfolios including Railways at the Centre. Except for the victory of C Narayanaswamy of JD(S) only in 1996, the Congress was firmly established for almost 46 years.

In 2004, BJP’s account was opened by HT Sangliana, and since then, BJP has been winning.

After DB Chandra Gowda, former CM DV Sadananda Gowda, who won twice from BJP, was also the Union Minister until recently.

Voters here who have mostly elected the migrated leaders have rarely held hands with the locals. Former CM Kengal Hanumanthiah originally hails from Ramanagara, while Jaffar Sharief hails from Challakere.

Chikkamagaluru-based DB Chandra Gowda and DV Sadananda Gowda of Dakshina Kannada district have embraced the migrants. Out of total 8 assembly constituencies, BJP has won in five, while Congress is strong in three.

However, Yeshvantpur BJP MLA ST Somashekhar had voted in favour of the Congress candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections and seems to have sidelined the BJP. It is difficult to resign as an MLA and face a by-election in Yeshwantpur. There is a possibility that there will be a lot of change in the political situation of the constituency after the election.