From top cardiologist to Mysuru royal scion to DK Shivakumar's brother. Top contests to watch out for in Karnataka

Lok Sabha elections: The southern state of Karnataka is bracing for a bipolar fight between the ruling Congress party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)- Janata Dal (Secular) or JD(S) opposition alliance. The BJP-JD(S) combine is likely to face a stiff challenge in Karnataka as the Congress has its morale high due to its stellar performance in the 2023 Assembly election. 

Both the Congress and the BJP have an intriguing lineup of candidates for the upcoming general elections. The BJP has fielded an interesting line-up of candidates including a top cardiologist, a scion of the Mysuru royal family and a former Chief Minister. The Congress, on the other hand, has fielded a lot of kith and kin of ministers and top party leaders. 

Key contests to watch out for 

Bangalore Rural: Dr CN Manjunath (BJP) vs D K Suresh (INC)

In Bengaluru Rural, ace cardiologist and former Prime Minister Deve Gowda’s son-in-law Dr CN Manjunath is in the electoral fray against Karnataka Deputy CM D K Shivakumar’s brother D K Suresh. Dr Manjunath, who was also the director of Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology, is contesting on the lotus symbol of the BJP as part of the seat-sharing deal between the BJP and the JD(S). 

Dr Manjunath, who is married to Deve Gowda’s daughter Anusuya, is the 12th member of Deve Gowda’s immediate family to enter politics. 

He was selected to contest from the seat after Nikhil Kumaraswamy lost in the 2023 assembly election from JD(S) bastion Ramanagara. The JD(S) hopes that Manjunath can win from Bangalore Rural due to his image and that the BJP’s support could also prove vital in retaining the Vokkaliga stronghold. 

D K Suresh, on the other hand, has served as the Congress MP from Bangalore Rural for three terms. Suresh was elected into the 15th Lok Sabha in the 2013 by-election after HD Kumaraswamy’s resignation. 

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, D K Suresh defeated the BJP candidate Ashwath Narayan Gowda by a margin of over 2 lakh votes. He secured more than 8.78 lakh votes and a vote share of 54 per cent in that election. 

Bangalore South: Tejasvi Surya (BJP) vs Sowmya Reddy (INC)

This battle is that of the young guns. The BJP has gone with its firebrand leader Tejasvi Surya, one of the youngest MPs elected in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In the 2019 general elections, Tejasvi Surya won from the Bangalore South constituency by 11.84 lakh votes and secured a vote share of 62.2 per cent. 

Before entering the electoral fray, Surya was widely recognised for leading the state BJP’s digital communications during the 2018 Karnataka Assembly elections. He also contributed to the BJP’s campaign during the 2014 general elections. 

Congress’ Sowmya Reddy is a formidable competitor to BJP’s Surya as she lost from Jayanagar constituency in the 2023 assembly election by only 16 votes. Reddy, who was elected from Jayanagar in 2018, is the daughter of Karnataka Muzrai and Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy. 

Mysore: Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar (BJP) vs M Lakshmana (INC)

Yaduveer Krishnadatta Wadiyar, who was crowned as the 27th 'King' of the Wadiyar dynasty on May 28, 2015, will contest from the Mysore Lok Sabha, replacing the current MP Pratap Simha. He is married to Trishika Kumari Wadiyar, whose father Harshavardhan Singh was a BJP Rajya Sabha MP.

Yaduveer, a graduate in Economics and English from the University of Massachusetts, was adopted by Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, wife of the last Wadiyar descendant, Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar. He is the grandson of Princess Gayatri Devi, the eldest daughter of the last Maharaja, Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar. 

The Congress has fielded its prominent Vokkaliga face M Lakshmana against the Mysuru royal scion from the constituency. Lakshmana, who is currently the spokesperson for the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), has pledged to unveil a comprehensive development manifesto for Mysuru. 

Shimoga: BY Raghvendra (BJP) vs Geetha Shivarajkumar (INC)

Here, the BJP has fielded BY Raghavendra, a prominent Lingayat leader and son of the former Karnataka CM VS Yediyurappa. In the 2009 Lok Sabha polls Raghavendra contested against former CM Sarekoppa Bangarappa and won by a margin of over 52,000 votes. 

Five years later, the constituency went to his father BS Yediyurappa in 2014. He took the constituency back in 2018. He is also the Managing Trustee of PES Institute of Technology and Management, Shimoga. 

To battle it out with BY Raghavendra, the Congress is counting on star power. The grand old party has fielded Geetha Shivarajkumar, the wife of Sandalwood actor Shivarajkumar. Geetha Shivarajkumar is the daughter of ex-CM Sarekoppa Bangarappa. While one of her brothers Madhu Bangarappa is a state minister, her another brother Kumar Bangarappa is a BJP leader. 

Mandya: HD Kumaraswamy (JDS) vs Venkataramane Gowda (INC) 

JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy is striving to regain the support of the Vokkaliga community in his bid to secure the Mandya Lok Sabha segment. He is working to gain the confidence of local Vokkaliga leaders, including those who are politically neutral. This is crucial, as the Congress has also fielded a Vokkaliga, Venkataramane Gowda (Star Chandru). 

The support of the major Vokkaliga community is significant, especially as the Congress candidate has been campaigning in the constituency for several months. Kumaraswamy recently visited the Adichunchanagiri Mutt, an influential Vokkaliga institution, to garner support. The Vokkaliga votes are believed to have consolidated for the sake of helping D K Shivakumar’s chief ministerial prospects in the last Assembly polls. 

Kumaraswamy is optimistic about bridging the gap of over one lakh votes by which JD(S) trailed Congress across all eight segments. He may also use the Cauvery issue to woo voters. Kumaraswamy could even mention his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy’s 2019 defeat to create sympathy. He is hopeful that BJP votes will come to him as he’s the NDA candidate.

Karnataka Lok Sabha election trends

According to India Today Mood of the Nation poll, the BJP-led NDA bloc is likely to win 24 out of 28 seats in Karnataka whereas the Opposition-led INDI alliance is expected to bag 4 seats. The NDA is expected to get 53 per cent of the vote share whereas the INDIA bloc will get a vote share of 42 per cent. 

In the upcoming general elections, the BJP is eyeing to lead among the Lingayats and Vokkaligas whereas the Congress is likely to lead among SCs, STs and Muslims. Lingayats have an influence in north Karnataka whereas Vokkaligas dominate the Old Mysore regions. SCs and STs are spread throughout the state, with a higher concentration in Kalyana Karnataka.