From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, May 20: It was the wholehearted support extended by a large number of Marathi voters in the border district of Belgaum that was mainly responsible for the victory of BJP candidate Suresh Angadi and defeat of Congress candidate Laxmi R Hebbalkar, claimed Karnataka’s Excise Minister Satish Jarkiholi.
Speaking to reporters in Bangalore on Tuesday, the minister said: ''We should have definitely won the Belgaum Lok Sabha seat because of our work in the constituency. But it was the pull of Marathi voters and the Shiv Sena-BJP tie-up in Maharashtra that must have swayed the Marathi voters in Belgaum.”
More than two lakh Marathi voters backed by Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) supported the BJP which contributed to the defeat of the Congress in Belgaum, he said.
BJP’s Angadi defeated Congress district unit president Ms Hebbalkar by a margin of 75,860 votes.
''Marathi voters are the deciding factor in the Belgaum constituency. Marathi voters believing in the Hindutva ideology and supported the BJP in the 2014 elections," Jarkiholi said.
Speaking about the performance of the Excise Department, he said the department has set a target to collect revenue of Rs 14,000 crore in 2014-15.
The amount of excise revenue generated in 2013-14 was Rs 12,800 crore against the target of Rs 12,600 crore, an increase of 1 per cent, he said.
Replaying to a query, he said there was no proposal before the department on issuing licenses to open more bars and restaurants in the State.
The department has also no intention in manufacturing a cheap variety of liquor to cater to the poorer sections of the society.
Jarkiholi said that there was no proposal before the government on extension of nightlife as was done in Bangalore to other cities of the State.
However, consumption of liquor in Bangalore City has not increased on account of extension of nightlife in the State Capital, he said.
''So far, the extension of nightlife in Bangalore during weekends has not caused any serious law and order problem causing concern,” he said pointing out that the Government was closely monitoring the situation.