Hubballi: In the upcoming assembly elections, the Congress and BJP will not be the only contenders in the Hubballi-Dharwad (East) constituency. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has entered the fray, and the JD(S) is also preparing to field a candidate.
Hubballi-Dharwad East May Witness Multi-Corner Fight
This constituency, which is reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC), has been a traditional battleground for the Congress and BJP since 2013. However, the entry of AIMIM and JD(S) is expected to change the caste equations in the polls this time.
The AIMIM has already won three wards in the Hubball-Dharwad East Constituency during the last year’s Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation elections and is planning to field candidates in three Assembly constituencies in the district, including Hubballi-Dharwad East. Their candidate for this constituency is Durgappa Bijwad.
The AIMIM’s entry is seen as a major threat to Congress, as the constituency has a huge number of Muslim voters, estimated to be around one lakh.
SCs are the next largest community in this constituency, and Vijay Guntral, who was in the limelight for celebrating Tipu Jayanti at Idgah Grounds, has now joined the SDPI and it is expected that he will run from that party.
The JD(S) supported the BSP candidate in the 2018 polls, but this time, they are planning to field their own candidate. And former MLA, former BJP leader Veerabhadrappa Halaharavi expected to contest from JD(S). The Aam Aadmi Party’s  Basavaraj Terdal will be contesting from this seat.
The sitting MLA, Congress party’s Prasad Abbayya, is aiming for a hat-trick win from this seat and is confident that the entry of SDPI and AIMIM into the fray will not affect his poll prospects. On the other hand, the BJP has a long list of ticket aspirants, which includes neurosurgeon Dr Krantikiran, Basavaraj Amminabhavi, former mayor Venkatesh Mestri, and Chandrashekhar Gokak.
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