To break Joshi’s winning streak, Congress has strategically fielded Vinod Asooti, a youth from OBC Kuruba community. Asooti, known in Navalgund constituency, is working to unite Ahinda (minorities, backwards and Dalits) votes to challenge Joshi’s dominance.This is the first time in 25 years that Congress is mounting a serious challenge to BJP’s clout in the constituency with a non-Lingayat candidate. At the same time, a major attempt is being made to dent BJP’s assiduously built support base of Brahmins and Lingayats.
Joshi, a Brahmin, also faces opposition from respected Lingayat seer Dingaleshwar Swami of Bhavaikyata Peetha of Shirahatti. Despite initially filing his papers as an Independent, Swami withdrew his nomination, citing pressure from senior seers.
Nonetheless, he continues to campaign against Joshi, alleging suppression of Lingayat leaders.
While the impact of the seer’s opposition remains uncertain in the predominantly Lingayat constituency, BJP functionaries downplay its significance.
Dharwad was one of those very few places where BJP tied with Congress in the 2023 state polls, with both parties winning four assembly segments each.
With urban segments account- ing for over 41% of the electorate, both BJP and Congress are intensifying efforts to increase their vote share and reduce anticipated leads in assembly segments controlled by their rivals.
BJP MLAs Mahesh Tenginakai (Hubballi-Dharwad Central) and Arvind Bellad (HubballiDharwad West) are going all out to ensure Joshi’s victory, while Congress MLA from HubballiDharwad East Prasad Abbayya, too, is pulling out all the stops to drum up support for Asooti.
With Dharwad MLA Vinay Kulkarni barred from entering the district, his wife Shivaleela Kulkarni is leading Asooti’s campaign from the front. Vinay, meanwhile, has focused his energies on BJP ex-CM Basavaraj Bommai’s 156 home turf of Shiggaon, which falls under Dharwad constituency but lies in Haveri district.
In Kalghatagi and Navalgund, Congress has a strong base as the assembly segments are held by district in-charge minister Santosh Lad and N H Konaraddi. BJP is confident of a good show in Shiggaon and MLA M R Patil’s Kundgol.
Amid the battle of Congress’s guarantees versus the Modi factor, BJP is amplifying its allegations of Congress’s appeasement politics against the backdrop of the Neha Hiremath murder case in Hubballi and involving youths in its protests.
The sentiments surrounding the case strengthen Joshi’s bid for a fifth term, although he faces stiff competition from Asooti, supported by Dingaleshwar Swami, who is meeting Lingayats in both parties and appealing them to join hands to defeat Joshi.