Jagadish Shettar retains BJP bastion Belagavi in Karnataka

The constituency saw a record-breaking voter turnout of 71.4 percent.

Former Karnataka chief minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jagdish Shettar won Belgaum Lok Sabha constituency, overcoming a challenge from the Congress political debutant Mrunal Hebbalkar, the son of state’s women and child development minister, Laxmi Hebbalkar.

The BJP had fielded the senior leader, who won by a margin of 1,78,437 votes, barely months after his return to the party.

Shettar had left the saffron party ahead of the Karnataka Assembly polls last year when he was denied the ticket from Hubballi-Dharwad Central, a seat he had held since 2008. Running on a Congress ticket, Shettar faced defeat and subsequently re-joined the BJP in January this year.

His return, however, was met with some discontent within the party, as he was perceived as an outsider by a section of the local party unit, which even launched a 'Go Back Shettar' campaign in protest.

The Belagavi was represented by BJP’s Mangala Angadi, the wife of the late Suresh Angadi, former Minister of State for Railways.

Interestingly, Shettar is related to the sitting MP Mangala Angadi, with the latter’s daughter Shraddha married to the former’s son Sankalp, a businessman. The Angadi residence in Vishweshwaraiah Nagar had become the action center of BJP’s campaign in the constituency.

Many believe Shettar’s familial ties to the Angadi family had helped him counter the 'outsider' label.

This constituency has been BJP-dominated since 2004 with the late Suresh Angadi winning on the trot, followed by his wife in the 2021 by polls.

However, the party has been facing a leadership vacuum following the demise of several influential leaders like Umesh Katti, Suresh Angadi, and Anand Mamani.

Experience vs youth

On the other hand, the Congress had opted for "youth" to counter Shettar’s experience, fielding Hebbalkar, the son of Belagavi Rural MLA and Karnataka Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar.

Hebbalkar's campaign emphasised his "nativeness" against Shettar's outsider status, highlighting his experience as a Youth Congress leader and Karnataka State Secretary of the Indian Youth Congress as his credentials for understanding the ground situation.

The BJP had responded by accusing Congress of indulging in dynasty politics.

Both candidates belong to the Lingayat community, which comprises close to 14 percent of Karnataka’s voting population.