Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (ANK)

Mangaluru, Mar 25: The Lok Sabha elections are just a few weeks away, with both the BJP and Congress fielding young candidates Capt Brijesh Chowta and Padmaraj from Dakshina Kannada.

The BJP has chosen to field the young and energetic Capt Brijesh Chowta for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, replacing Nalin Kumar Kateel, who has won three terms in office. Despite his consecutive wins, the BJP high command decided to introduce a new face in Capt Brijesh Chowta from Dakshina Kannada. Similarly, the Congress has given the opportunity to a new face, Padmaraj R, who is also a disciple of senior Congress leader B Janardhana Poojary.

Dakshina Kannada has been a BJP stronghold since 1991, with Congress not winning in the district for 32 years. Both parties have chosen young candidates from the district for the upcoming elections.

History of Lok Sabha elections in Dakshina Kannada

The Lok Sabha elections in South Canara constituency commenced in 1952. Subsequently, from 1957 to 2009, the constituency was known as Mangaluru. However, starting from 2009, it was reconstituted as the Dakshina Kannada constituency. Congress' B Shivaram became the first MP of South Canara by defeating KR Karanth from KMPP. Congress held the Lok Sabha seat for several decades, with B Janardhana Poojary winning four times from 1977 to 1989.

In 1984, BJP made its initial foray into the electoral arena by fielding K Ram Bhat as its candidate. However, B Janardhana Poojary of the Congress emerged victorious in that election, defeating Bhat. Continuing their electoral battles, the Congress veteran leader once again prevailed over the BJP candidate, V Dhananjaya Kumar, in the 1989 elections.

Despite facing consecutive defeats, BJP remained resolute and determined to make a comeback. In the 1991 elections, despite the previous losses, BJP retained its faith in V Dhananjaya Kumar and nominated him once again as their candidate. This time, he stood in opposition to B Janardhana Poojary, who had been riding the wave of victory since 1977.

V Dhananjaya Kumar ends Congress’ rule of four decades

In 1991, BJP candidate V Dhananjaya Kumar made history by ending the four-decade-long rule of the Congress in Dakshina Kannada. He achieved this feat by defeating Congress stalwart B Janardhana Poojary with a significant margin of 35,005 votes. Following this victory, V Dhananjaya Kumar continued his winning streak, triumphing over B Janardhana Poojary in the subsequent elections of 1996 and 1998.

Despite facing defeat three times in a row, the Congress party decided to replace B Janardhana Poojary with Veerappa Moily in the hopes of turning the tide in their favor. However, Veerappa Moily could not secure victory against V Dhananjaya Kumar in the 1999 elections. Even in 2004, Dhananjaya Kumar emerged victorious, defeating both Veerappa Moily and D V Sadananda Gowda, who had succeeded him as the Congress candidate.

In the 1999 elections, the Congress faced additional challenges when one of its leaders, Lokeshwari Vinayachandra, resigned from the party and contested with a JD(S) ticket. This move split the Congress vote, resulting in a narrow victory for Dhananjaya Kumar with a margin of just 8,469 votes.

Despite securing four consecutive victories, V Dhananjaya Kumar's tenure came to an end in 2004 when he lost his seat to V Sadananda Gowda, who became an MP for the first time by defeating Veerappa Moily. This defeat marked a significant shift in the political landscape of Dakshina Kannada.

Nalin Kumar Kateel secures hat-trick of victories

In 2009, the BJP high command made a strategic decision to provide an opportunity to the young leader Nalin Kumar Kateel, while the Congress fielded the seasoned veteran B Janardhana Poojary against him. This move paid off for the BJP, as Nalin Kumar Kateel emerged victorious in both the 2009 and 2014 elections, defeating B Janardhana Poojary by significant margins of 40,420 votes and 1,43,704 votes respectively.

In the 2019 elections, the Congress nominated the young leader Mithun Rai, who was among the prominent aspirants vying for candidacy. He stood in opposition to Nalin Kumar Kateel, who was contesting for the third time. Despite Mithun Rai's candidacy, Nalin Kumar Kateel managed to secure a resounding victory, defeating the Congress candidate by a staggering margin of 2,74,621 votes, thereby securing his third consecutive term as MP.

BJP and Congress field new faces in 2024

A few months ago, the distribution of BJP tickets in Dakshina Kannada became the talk of the town, with speculation rife over whether Nalin Kumar Kateel would contest for the fourth time or if the high command would opt for a new face. Several aspirants within the BJP expressed interest in contesting the elections, leading to a flurry of political activity over the past month regarding ticket distribution.

The release of the BJP's second list provided clarity on several fronts, as Nalin Kumar Kateel was replaced by the young candidate Capt Brijesh Chowta. This decision signified a shift in the party's strategy and set the stage for an intriguing electoral contest.

In response, the Congress party also announced its candidate from the district, Padmaraj R, who will contest against Capt Brijesh Chowta. With both parties fielding strong candidates, a neck-and-neck fight is anticipated in the forthcoming elections, adding to the excitement and anticipation surrounding the electoral process.

Previous results:

1951: B Shivaram (Cong): 96619, KR Karanth (KMPP): 8778
1957: K R Achar (Cong): 143599, Krishna Shetty (CPI): 85373
1962: A Shankar Alva (Cong): 118102, J M Lobo Prabhu (Swathanthra): 84346
1967: C M Poonacha (Cong): 125162, KR Karanth (Inde) 96640
1971: K K Shetty (Cong): 205516, C M Poonacha (NCO): 84286
1977: B Janardhana Poojary (Cong): 233458, A K Subbaih (BLD):155130
1980: B Janardhana Poojary (Cong): 249283, Karamballi Sanjeeva Shetty (JNP): 120386
1984: B Janardhana Poojary (Cong): 299490, K Ram Bhat (BJP): 180091
1989: B Janardhana Poojary (Cong): 275672, V Dhananjaya Kumar (BJP): 184575
1991: Dhananjaya Kumar (BJP): 274700, B Janardhana Poojary (Cong): 239695
1996: Dhananjaya Kumar (BJP): 250765, B Janardhana Poojary (Cong): 236266
1998: Dhananjaya Kumar (BJP): 341362, B Janardhana Poojary (Cong): 334455
1999: Dhananjaya Kumar (BJP): 353536, Veerappa Moily (Cong): 345067
2004: D V Sadananda Gowda (BJP): 384760, Veerappa Moily (Cong): 351345
2009: Nalin Kumar Kateel (BJP): 499385, B Janardhana Poojary (Cong): 458965
2014: Nalin Kumar Kateel (BJP): 642739, B Janardhana Poojary (Cong): 499030
2019: Nalin Kumar Kateel (BJP): 774284, Mithun Rai (Cong): 499664