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Bengaluru South has been a stronghold for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since 1991, setting the stage for an intense electoral battle. The upcoming Lok Sabha elections will witness BJP’s Tejasvi Surya battle against Congress’ Sowmya Reddy. Tejasvi Surya, the current MP, confronts Sowmya Reddy, who narrowly missed victory in the previous assembly elections by a mere 16 votes, intensifying the competition. At 41, Sowmya Reddy, daughter of Minister Ramalinga Reddy, has a strong political lineage, having previously served as an MLA in Jayanagar. Despite her background, she faced a narrow defeat in the recent Assembly polls.
Bengaluru South, spanning over eight Assembly constituencies, has been a BJP bastion, with the BJP securing five seats in the 2023 elections, while Congress claimed three. Notably, Congress’ sole victory in this region since 1977 was in 1989, when former Chief Minister late R Gundu Rao emerged triumphant, underscoring the significance of this electoral battleground.
The Congress party is making a strategic move by relying heavily on its five key guarantees to sway voters in the upcoming elections. One of the highlights of their campaign is the ‘Shakti’ guarantee, which has enabled women to travel for free in non-luxury government buses across the state. This initiative, spearheaded by Sowmya, the daughter of the Transport Minister, aims to empower women and provide them with accessible transportation options, according to a report in ET.
Sowmya also makes it a point to tell people about the four other guarantees ‘Gruha Lakshmi’, ‘Gruha Jyoti’, ‘Yuva Nidhi’ and ‘Anna Bhagya’. “Who brought ‘Achchhe Din’? Is it Congress or the BJP? Which ‘Achchhe Din’ you will vote for?”
On the other hand, BJP candidate is focusing on showcasing the progress made under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership over the past decade. Surya emphasizes the transformation of the economy, citing the shift from being among the most fragile economies to one of the top five globally. He attributes this growth to the strengthening of key institutions during the BJP’s tenure.
While the Congress champions its guarantees aimed at empowering citizens, the BJP underscores its role in driving economic development and institutional strengthening.
Established in 1977, Bengaluru South seat has witnessed a dynamic political landscape over the years. Former Supreme Court judge K.S. Hegde represented the seat, followed by the Janata Party’s T.R. Shamanna in 1980. The Congress secured a rare victory in 1989 when former CM Gundu Rao claimed the seat. However, the BJP gained prominence with economist Venkatagiri Gowda winning in 1991. The late Ananth Kumar then dominated the seat, triumphing in five consecutive elections from 1996. After Kumar’s passing, Tejasvi Surya emerged as the BJP’s youngest Lok Sabha member in 2019.
As the 2024 elections approach, the Congress eyes a resurgence in Bengaluru South, while the BJP remains confident in retaining the urban stronghold with Surya at the helm.
Bengaluru, consisting of four Lok Sabha seats, will go to polls on April 26, with the results announced by June 4.The Indian elections will take place in 7 phases from April 19 to June 1, encompassing a total of 543 constituencies.
Karnataka’s 28 seats will be contested during the second and third phases on April 26 and May 7, respectively.
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