The Hubli-Dharwad Central constituency in the upcoming Karnataka Assembly Elections has become a battleground for a ‘guru-shishya’ fight between two prominent Lingayat leaders, raising the election fever in the seat.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Mahesh Tenginkai against the turncoat Jagadish Shettar for the seat in the upcoming polls.
Background
BJP state general secretary Mahesh Tenjinakai has been chosen to contest the election from the Hubbali-Dharwad Central Assembly constituency, which was previously held by Shettar. He will contest against former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, the Congress nominee, a report stated.
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Tenginkai on April 18 sought blessings from Jagadish Shettar before filing his nomination for the seat. Tenginkai said that Shettar has been his guru and that the fight is between a guru (teacher) and his shishya (disciple) and that he is confident his guru will bless him.
Meanwhile, Shettar said that he is neither his guru nor Tenginkai is his shishya and said that he is a loyal disciple of BL Santhosh and that he got ticket because of him.
Shettar on Monday joined the Congress party, a day after quitting the BJP after being denied a ticket for the May 10 assembly polls in the state. Jagadish Shettar became the second senior leader from the Lingayat community to leave the ruling BJP and join Congress in less than a week. Earlier, former Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi joined the Congress.
Tenginkai's response
BJP leader Mahesh Tenginkai, who replaced Shettar from the Hubli-Dharwad Central constituency, said that the party still has the support of Lingayats and that the exit of a few leaders does not make a difference.
Tenginkai is a prominent leader of the Lingayat community, who has a stronghold in the Hubli-Dharwad region. He has been associated with the BJP for over two decades and has held various positions in the party organisation. He is also a successful businessman and a social worker.
Expectations and predictions
The contest between Tenginkai and Shettar is expected to be a close one, as both are popular leaders of the Lingayat community and have strong organisational backing. The 224-seat Assembly polls are slated to take place in a single phase on May 10, and results will be declared on May 13.
