Hello and welcome to the southern view election special five thousand five hundred odd kilometers done we are back from तुमकुरु where we were yesterday to बेंगलुरु central outside the विधान सौध well campaign gone silent not just for the fourteen seats in कर्नाटका but also the twenty seats in Kerala the whole state goes to polls on friday like the fourteen in Karnataka but first we will focus in । Decher कर्नाटका with two extraordinary बंगलोर veteran journalist सुगाता श्रीनिवास राजू and BS अरुण both of them have covered कर्नाटका politics for many many many decades know all the intricate grass root equations and hopefully we will try and explore and help us understand the difference seats across this first phase remember fourteen seats go to the polls । On friday this is the old mysore region of the fourteen twelve are considered part of the old Mysuru region then you have दक्षिण कन्नडा उडपी चिकमंगलूर seat as well that's in the race fascinating contest here one that test the BJP JDS alliance but remember the urban metropolis the English speaking urban elite living in बेंगलुरु will have to come out to vote बेंगलुरु south fascinating contest between तेजस्वी । सूर्या and सौम्या रेड्डी which is turning personal some would say then you have बेंगलुरु north where you have राजीव taking on union minister शोभा करण लाजे and of course the बेंगलुरु central seat where the incumbent PC मोहन takes on मंजूर अली खान let me just get our guest in on the बेंगलुरु contest first you sugata a fascinating contest in बेंगलुरु its been a BJP bastion all through out but the । Congress seems to be challenging this time fielding रामलिंग रेड्डी daughter सौम्या who lost the assembly election by a very narrow margin against तेजस्वी सूर्या seems like a personal battle for the congress yes वीर बंगलोर looks very very interesting see it's not just सौम्या रेड्डी mean a lot of ministers children have been fielded and that is kind of been a default strategy of the congress party this time । ah I think basically because of the reluctance of senior leaders to contest but that aside सौम्या रेड्डी you know starting with Bangalore south I think सौम्या रेड्डी is a very hard working person you know in fact I like the way she worked when she was MLA and it was a pity that she lost by a few votes fourteen fifteen oats after she had been declared elected last time you know I mean that is last year and I think she is come back with a certain vengeance and a mission not just vengeance but also a mission because i have seen some of our campaign videos and I think she goes about doing things extremely meticulously but we have to sort of say this that that seat has notded to the congress since nineteen eighty-nine । Right nineteen ninety-one it was वेंकटगिरी you know I mean देवे गौडा who won the seat for the first time for the BJP and ever since for six long terms it was I think अनंत कुमार till he passed away and two thousand nineteen आह तेजस्वी सूर्या has come in And we have to be fair तेजस्वी सूर्या has filled filled up the ah the the the shoes that of of अनंत कुमार thing quite well not because he has done something extraordinary to the constituency but I think he has built up a very good profile naturally As well and as young and is trying to sort of go out of the way to do things and extremely articulate and also a very polarizing figure you know I mean he also represents a constituency which is a mixed urban constituency where there are a lot of influential ब्राह्मण notes no doubt but I think the deciding factors with the you know I remember the seat if you want me to continue I will tell you what We will get to that but on the point that you are making in terms of cast breakup remember even in Bengaluru south like an urban seat the cast mix and other thing is what journalist really explore but अरुण explain to us this whole strength the whole the BJP has over this city I mean these are as sugata was saying बंगलुरु south for so many decades you got बंगलुरु north Bengaluru central these are seats for over two decades where the congress is not been able to even put a challenge to the BJP what explain that Yes ah over the last many years we have seen how BJP has you know virtually captured Bangalore city बैंगलोर actually has five seats it's a Bangalore south north central and then Bangalore rural and even चिकबल्लापुर one constituency which is is part of the चिकबापुर which is neighboring Bangalore so but in this three । ah you know seats which is ah urban seats which have the urban influence but the three बेंगलुरु seats are these three we are talking of and others which have the urban influence but but couple of segments of this लोकसभा constituencies come within the Bangalore city right so that's that's why Bangalore city includes five seats and three major seats are this south north and central so and in all the three cities । Seats you can see the domination of the BJP over the last over the last many years many decades actually in in fact ah Bangalore south has been for for I think more than three decades now nineteen seventy-nine that was the first time when BJP one ah in that seat and since then as he said nineteen ninety-nine was the only time when congress one R गुंडू राव one that seat । When you come to north and central that's also become a you know of the BJP it's it's it's the several of these leaders have been you know fighting from there and winning like PC मोहन । सदानंद became a minister last time he was ticket interestingly in Bangalore north So it has two new candidates आह राजीव of the congress and शोभा करण राजे who was shifted from she was forced to shift there was a go back शोभा campaign in चिकमंगलोर and she was forced to find another seat and her party leaders gave her बैंगलोर now I know it's a fascinating contest in बेंगलुरु for the three seats but we don't want to just get focus only on बेंगलुरु will speak about बेंगलुरु more but I just want । You want to move further down from बेंगलुरु where you enter what's known as the heartland बेंगलुरु rural seats like मंडिया where you have HD कुमारस्वामी taking on star चंदू बेंगलुरु rural is where DK सुरेश DK शिवकुमार's brother is taking on son in law doctor मंजुनाथ then you have seats like मैसूर हसन these are known as the heartland and this is really the JDS BJP alliance test do you believe that this phase । Is really a JDS BJP alliance test very briefly sugata and if it doesn't work that alliance it's going to be disaster for the JDS to retain its identity Yes certainly a lot of things are going to be tested not just the alliance you know I mean ah it it's also going to test the ability of the family to pull off an election because practically these are seats that the BJP has never one the seats are never one in the last elections that is the twenty twenty-three assembly elections both the congress and the BJP made in roads into the ah you know of the areas where I think they of around three percent and four percent of the JDS and JDS which is usually around thirty thirty-three or thirty-six of best case scenario of forty-four assembly seats came down to nineteen and that nineteen was a figure which I think pushed a push the crisis or a crisis button Inside the JDS and see I personally feel that the JDS BJP alliance is a farmer natural alliance for various reasons because they compliment each other where they don't have their strength they compliment each other and see they haven't been fighting at the grass roots rivals for many many decades and also the other thing is that yeah precisely the लिंगायत bastion which ah की BJP has cultivated for the last three decades under the leadership of येदियुरप्पा has been mostly focus in the north of कर्नाटका, हैदराबाद कर्नाटका मुंबई not in the old mysore region although येदियुरप्पा ironically and interestingly येदियुरप्पा himself come from मंड्या right and and and so since you are mentioning मंडया I am sorry to cut you there sugata I met DK शिवकुमार on the campaign trail and I asked him । ah you know what will happen in मंड्या are you worried about this alliance he says all three members of family will be defeated that was his comment that he made there it's a personal battle for him I mean really it's about DK शिवकुमार wanting to hold on to the vocal vote that's also a big test for the congress absolutely it's actually मंड्या is being seen as a fight between DK शिवकुमार and कुमार स्वामी । there is a candidate there ah star चंदू but । He is not be seen as the candidate शिवकुमार is the candidate so that is a real battle ground see in the assembly elections शिवकुमार proved himself as the leader by winning a majority of the seats in मांड्या district so and that's how he captured for congress all the seats from जनता दल, जनता दल had been a you know powerful party in the entire मांड्या हसन as you mentioned this । These areas in Bangalore district Bangalore rural district and mysore but now congress has given them a run for the money and this is one test now to prove who is the leader of the vocal in the heart line whether its कुमारस्वामी और DK Shivakumar so that's the story within the story this election results will have almost an entire implication as far as the State political equations वरा its always been like that for for instance DK शिवकुमार has contested against the family the family in the past he has put up strong candidates in fact in two thousand four आह तेजस्विनी defeated देवेगौडा in कनकपुरा I mean what is become Bangalore rural now and देवेगौडा retain the हसन seat । I mean went to the parliament because he had won the seat was contesting two seats so there is always been that personal rivalry and lost that seat in eighty-nine to his own शागिर्द PGR सिंधिया so I mean it's all I mean its always personal grass root equations of Karnataka politics where vote share on paper don't necessarily add up on the ground at the end of an election I just want to focus on two more seats of the elections in a parliamentary election that's right ah you know ah we will check those facts out but looking at two more quick constituencies going beyond that region remember fourteen going to the polls two very quick constituencies चिकमगलूर शोभा कर्जे was shifted out and you have कोटा श्रीनिवास पुजारी who is the BJP Leader in the legislative council contesting against an ex MP of the congress who has a very strong credible image in that local area जयप्रकाश हेगडे as well as then you have the दक्षिण कन्नडा seat where the BJP wins the seats what by twenty twenty-five percent what shares you know दक्षिण कन्नडा उत्तर कन्नडा the desire the decision to replace नलिन कुमार कटील and field the fresh candidate Does that show that the party is trying to change tracks in Karnataka, the party has changed many candidates in Karnataka and both in south as well as in north कर्नाटका and नलिन कुमार who was the party president he was removed as party president and he was changed as a party candidate now you have a new candidate there youngster ah farmer army army man so he is contesting and । It's one one you know the constituency which BJP wants to retain very badly because that is seen as mangalore and both are seen as the laboratory of the हिंदुत्व for the BJP and it doesn't want to give it away you know it wants to retain the seats by any ah by by any at any cost and they also you know ah ah brought back to the party । पुतला अरुण कुमार who who had gone away from the party but he is a strong ah ground ground level leader he had gone away from the party because of him the party has lost one assembly seat now he is back in the party and looks you know BJP is in a better position to retain the seat but the fight is on like in many of the other seats the fight is on but these are places where the congress some would say have seded enormous ground over the last two decades very difficult to catch up very । Quickly sugar था faction troubles do you see that playing a role in this elections it's been spoken about largely from the BJP side ah do you see that playing a role or do you see the party actually being able to consolidated because it's a parliamentary election and not an assembly there has been a lot more trouble in the BJP certainly than the congress for the simple reason that there is greater hope that the candidates who who contest on a BJP ticket will win । And the congress you know I mean the impression that one gathered right at the beginning was that they were sort of reluctant to put in candidates you know you know no ministers you know except for one I think has contested a seat you know I mean a lot of people were being offered that so as a kind of alternative those their children who are very young inexperience constituency one is that one is also that and the second thing is also about resources I don't think they wanted to spend the money everywhere and congress has been trying horse about not having money so I am not going to believe that but then that is the kind of mean reasoning that was given that if you give tickets to the children of this ministers in the last time । I counted it was seventeen out of twenty eight are pedigreed people people who are inexperience but are there because of their fathers or father in laws very important aspect of Karnataka politics perhaps of any state politics but specially true in Karnataka but most expensive elections in Karnataka and you also have the richest legislators and politics Tion as well in the country but while we speak about all this hard core politics the message to बेंगलुरु really is to get up and come out and vote on friday voter has been an issue all along in the city and प्रतिभा राम and my colleague caught up with a bunch of young बगलoreans asking them what they are going to do not just to go on vote but to make sure that others go out and vote as well let's listen It's election time in Karnataka Karnataka will be voting in two phases phase two and phase three April twenty six this fast approaching and I have with me a bunch of youngsters here at don bosco college in Bengaluru KR puram area and let me actually find out if they are really ready for this democratic festival because I am told that among these group of youngsters ah there are a lot of first time voters as well so । Are you a first time voter can I know? Yes of course I am a first time voter hoping this time election to be good and willing all the promises what the people have done to just fulfill it and we should not get any disappointment from any । You are in a first time voter I am guessing where you disappointed with respect to the expectations that you had and what will be your expectations this time yeah obviously ah last time last time when we voted we voted on the guarantees and hopes and । There are there there is a rumor from the central that since the party changed in Karnataka the the main city Bangalore is facing water crisis it wasn't like the before so you want a candidate who can solve your water crisis problem yeah water crisis is the main thing blooming for now so the main issue right now is water crisis but I am quite curious to know I mean all of you are studying here is there anyone who wants the education system to be changed is there anything like that in your mind । yes madam as the education is growing day by day and the policies are being change I wish there should be a policy that can be enhanceable to students relieving their stress because I feel now the policies that are coming । half of them I think is being stressed by students । So I feel that should be good education policies that can enhance the status of the students in order to make India a more better better place । What about you? do you which constituency do you come from? do you know that । Yeah I know that because I belong to Bangalore not constituency for लोकसभा elections and my candidates ah in Indian national congress it is professor RV Rev and for ah BJP it is आह शोभा शोभा कुमारी I am glad you got it right it is शोभा कर लाजे what about you do you know your candidates yes it's actually Bangalore north and it's Ms । कुमारी शोभा करंजे and राजीव got it right so let me actually go across to the guys looks like ah the girls here have fed well and ah what about you what are your key expectations when it comes to the selection । Like we are also first time like we are also having some doubts what will happen for the future like kind of doubts for employments and what are scarcity are there so job opportunities and what is scarcity what is on your mind? Yeah the job market should actually increase । ah My unemployed people are rising in India right now I think the numbers should decrease and more employment option should be given by the government so I hope the government is a better job ah do the next and what about you do you see the campaigns and you kind of realize that हाँ the congress has this in the manifesto the BJP has this do you actually have a fair idea of this ah actually not but I think what whichever party comes to power । I hope it's gonna benefit the society and for the individual inside the society so first time voters there extremely excited about part taking in this democratic festival and also believing that that one vote of there would definitely bring in a change and will it or not we will know on june fourth with camera person गोविंद प्रतिभा raman in Bengaluru for NDTV । Well if you don't know your candidates whether you are in बेंगलुरु or in Kerala it's time to google and find out Wikipedia gives you history of every constituency very well so whichever constituency you are on make sure that you at least know the candidates and get out to vote on Friday I am just going to shift focus quickly to Kerala where I am also joined by senior journalist गौरी दसन नायर from तिरुवनंतपुरम just to give you an overview of Kerala fascinating contest there some of them three way fights ah Like तिरुवनंतपुरम where you have तुर versus पंड रविंद्रन versus राजीव चंद्रशेखर remember the BJP congress number two one and two there the congress incumbent MP has won the seat since two thousand nine then you have seats like अतिंगल where you have V मुरलीधर and union minister of state contesting against the incumbent MP अदूर प्रकाश of the congress and V joy of the CPIM and of course the only seat आलपुरा Only seat congress lost in twenty nineteen where you have KC वेणुगोपाल contesting there of course central Kerala you have seats like त्रिशूर you have seats like पतन which are again ah three way fight candidates like सुरेश गोपी of the BJP knocking to get through in those seats there and of course you have fascinating seats like वायनाड and वाटरा in north Kerala every seat a story in itself in Kerala गौरी The large message of this election you have one story in south Kerala but in central Kerala it's about ah bridging the Hindu christian bringing together the Hindu christian vote for the BJP how is it panning out If it were a normal election it is fifty fifty in Kerala । like this is a situation where both the congress and the CPI and and the alliance led by them have a common enemy in the BJP । And the BJP is has never been the front runner though they have performed in certain elections in the recent past । so when I say normal election normal election is where these two major play yeah । Okay there is we are facing some connection issues with you but very quickly the one thing that I find very difficult to figure out in your state of Kerala गौरी is who is with who because the congress accuses the left and the BJP of a tacit understanding the BJP accuses the left and the congress of a tacit understanding who is playing with who in which seat quickly । this is a better contest as of now in Kerala because the BJP is is bent on making its mark and also probably also trying to be at least one or two seats zero to one zero to two that's their target whether they would make it is a big issue so but you know this is spanning out across Kerala where you know they are taking on both the congress and the and the CPIF okay we seem to be having some connection issues with हरिदास नायर but we will move on now but I think the fascinating aspect I think as journalist who have covered elections for many years all of us have fascinating stories I think । In this trip what we figured out is that you need to have special abilities to drive along with the convoy you got people like rocket रमेश who is शशी थरुर driver that we met driver सत्या who challenge us that we can never follow them in that b so what's your fascinating election story as you wrap up on what the national import of Kerala is for me I will straight away go to the national import of Kerala because I have not been on the field this time after three decades वीरा I have not actually done ah I mean been to the field I have just been doing data and analysis and stuff like that anyway I mean केरला you know I mean this is very important in the mind of Mr । मोदी केरला and तमिलनाडु but you know I mean mean two or three months ago people said there was no hell in hope hope in hell that they would win anything at all and even now probably । Probably that's that that sort of is true but certain things have shifted there and BJP has done something very smart they reduce their focus from six seats to six seats to three seats and I think त्रिशूर looks a bit hopeful for them I think अथल is again another seat that you mentioned तिरुवनंतपुरम of course but I think ah Mr । तरुण is running a little ahead is what I hear from my journalistic colleagues and see the the fascinating thing about Kerala । and because in the national BJP kind of projectory is that it's almost forty-five percent minorities and the nationally of the BJP has been anti minorities specially muslims muslim candidate of the BJP also absolutely and and and one last thing is that the christians there again are not a homogeneous lot there is the latines there is the Syrian christians so all of them think differently so we don't know how । How things will get aligned to consolidate something for the BJP I am in the last minute of the show last word to you अरुण would you want that word to be on Kerala or on Karnataka take your pick tell us what's going to happen । I know better about कर्नाटका than Kerala although I was just yesterday I was speaking to my friend in Kerala he had been travelling across Kerala and he was saying that you know it's a real test between the UDF and the LDF of course BJP is the most interesting point there as to which of the seats are going । to do better there are certainly going to increase their vote share as they they are likely to do in तमिलनाडु but winning a seat and whether its a or or even would be difficult proposition that's what he was saying okay a fascinating contest there will keep a close track of it वसुधा वेणुगोपाल is up next with the special focus on Kerala we are rapping out our southern view election special for the moment before we rebegin for phase three that's all we have time for the news continues here on NDTV ।
