<p><span class="bold">F</span>irebrand BJP leader C T Ravi is seeking re-election for the fifth time from Chikmagalur, a seat that promises to be high-voltage with the Congress looking to give him a tough fight. </p>.<p>The Chikmagalur constituency was a Congress bastion - even former PM Indira Gandhi contested the 1978 Lok Sabha election from here and won. The trend was similar in Assembly elections until BJP’s Ravi started winning since 2004.</p>.<p>This time, Ravi is up against his one-time aide H D Thammaiah who quit the BJP and joined the Congress. Thammaiah is a Lingayat, a community that has around 40,000 votes in Chikmagalur. Vokkaligas, the community Ravi belongs to, have around 20,000 votes. Chikmagalur also has 45,000 SC/STs, 30,000 Muslims and 23,000 Kurubas. </p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/election/karnataka/bjp-seeks-poll-edge-with-ucc-cylinders-nandini-milk-in-karnataka-1214805.html" target="_blank">BJP seeks poll edge with UCC, cylinders, Nandini milk in Karnataka</a></strong></p>.<p>Thammaiah is looking to become the second Lingayat to get elected from Chikmagalur after C M S Shastri way back in 1967. </p>.<p>There’s a mixed opinion about development among urban voters. Rural voters say they have not seen much difference in the last several years. “We live in a village at least 30 km away from the city. For years, we’ve been asking for a proper road. We even personally met the MLA and submitted a request, which went unheard,” said a resident of Kolagame village. </p>.<p>Ravi lost his first election in 1999 against Congress’ C R Sageer Ahmad. Also, the Datta Peeta issue, on which the BJP banked here, is no longer alive. </p>.<p>BJP workers, however, are confident of winning for the fifth time. The widening of Kadur-Chikkamagaluru road, a medical college and a super speciality hospital and Ravi’s fight on the Datta Peeta issue are enough, they say. Some voters, like Ramesh, a senior citizen, expressed unhappiness over Ravi’s “communal” statements and veiled criticism of BJP veteran B S Yediyurappa and his son B Y Vijayendra.</p>.<p>The district covers nine taluks with five assembly constituencies: Chikmagalur, Sringeri, Tarikere, Mudigere and Kadur. Of the five, BJP won four in 2018 - Chikmagalur, Tarikere, Kadur and Mudigere.</p>.<p>However, Mudigere MLA M P Kumaraswamy quit the BJP after being denied the ticket and is contesting on a JD(S) ticket. Congress has fielded former minister Motamma’s daughter Nayana Jyothi Jhawar while BJP went with Deepak Doddaiah. </p>.<p>In Sringeri, Congress’ T D Raje Gowda is expected to face a good fight from BJP’s D N Jeevaraj. At Kadur, currently held by BJP, there appears to be some sympathy for JD(S) leader Y S V Datta with him saying this would be his last election. </p>.<p>In Tarikere, it is neck-and-neck between BJP’s D S Suresh and G H Srinivas of Congress. </p>
<p><span class="bold">F</span>irebrand BJP leader C T Ravi is seeking re-election for the fifth time from Chikmagalur, a seat that promises to be high-voltage with the Congress looking to give him a tough fight. </p>.<p>The Chikmagalur constituency was a Congress bastion - even former PM Indira Gandhi contested the 1978 Lok Sabha election from here and won. The trend was similar in Assembly elections until BJP’s Ravi started winning since 2004.</p>.<p>This time, Ravi is up against his one-time aide H D Thammaiah who quit the BJP and joined the Congress. Thammaiah is a Lingayat, a community that has around 40,000 votes in Chikmagalur. Vokkaligas, the community Ravi belongs to, have around 20,000 votes. Chikmagalur also has 45,000 SC/STs, 30,000 Muslims and 23,000 Kurubas. </p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/election/karnataka/bjp-seeks-poll-edge-with-ucc-cylinders-nandini-milk-in-karnataka-1214805.html" target="_blank">BJP seeks poll edge with UCC, cylinders, Nandini milk in Karnataka</a></strong></p>.<p>Thammaiah is looking to become the second Lingayat to get elected from Chikmagalur after C M S Shastri way back in 1967. </p>.<p>There’s a mixed opinion about development among urban voters. Rural voters say they have not seen much difference in the last several years. “We live in a village at least 30 km away from the city. For years, we’ve been asking for a proper road. We even personally met the MLA and submitted a request, which went unheard,” said a resident of Kolagame village. </p>.<p>Ravi lost his first election in 1999 against Congress’ C R Sageer Ahmad. Also, the Datta Peeta issue, on which the BJP banked here, is no longer alive. </p>.<p>BJP workers, however, are confident of winning for the fifth time. The widening of Kadur-Chikkamagaluru road, a medical college and a super speciality hospital and Ravi’s fight on the Datta Peeta issue are enough, they say. Some voters, like Ramesh, a senior citizen, expressed unhappiness over Ravi’s “communal” statements and veiled criticism of BJP veteran B S Yediyurappa and his son B Y Vijayendra.</p>.<p>The district covers nine taluks with five assembly constituencies: Chikmagalur, Sringeri, Tarikere, Mudigere and Kadur. Of the five, BJP won four in 2018 - Chikmagalur, Tarikere, Kadur and Mudigere.</p>.<p>However, Mudigere MLA M P Kumaraswamy quit the BJP after being denied the ticket and is contesting on a JD(S) ticket. Congress has fielded former minister Motamma’s daughter Nayana Jyothi Jhawar while BJP went with Deepak Doddaiah. </p>.<p>In Sringeri, Congress’ T D Raje Gowda is expected to face a good fight from BJP’s D N Jeevaraj. At Kadur, currently held by BJP, there appears to be some sympathy for JD(S) leader Y S V Datta with him saying this would be his last election. </p>.<p>In Tarikere, it is neck-and-neck between BJP’s D S Suresh and G H Srinivas of Congress. </p>
