Dharwad Lok Sabha election 2024: The Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency, one of the prestigious constituencies in the state, has never elected a candidate for the fifth consecutive term. Several candidates have failed to retain the seat consecutively for the fifth term. It has now grabbed the attention as people are curiously waiting for the outcome of the 2024 Lok Sabha. Pralhad Joshi, the incumbent MP and Union minister representing the Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency since 2004, is vying for a fifth consecutive term.
Who is Pralhad Joshi?
Historically, no candidate has achieved this feat in the constituency's electoral history from 1952 to 2019. A closer look at the history of the constituency from 1952 to 2019 reveals that no candidate has managed to secure a win for the fifth consecutive term from Dharwad. Initially, it was known as the Dharwad North Lok Sabha constituency, until the delimitation process. In 1952, when the first election was held, DP Karmarkar contested on a Congress ticket and won the election. Subsequently, he won three consecutive terms from 1952 to 1962. Sarojini Mahishi had contested on a Congress ticket and she also secured three consecutive terms - from 1967 to 1977.
After this, the Congress fielded senior leader DK Naikar, and he won his first election in 1980. He continued to win all the elections and won four consecutive terms from 1980 to 1991. However, his attempt to create a record by winning a fifth consecutive term was thwarted when he lost to the BJP’s Vijaya Sankeshwar in the 1996 election. With the victory of Sankeshwar, the Congress lost its grip over the constituency. Sankeshwar also won for three consecutive terms from 1998 to 1999 as BJP fielded Pralhad Joshi in the 2004 LS polls.
Joshi stunned his political detractors who predicted that he would bite the dust by emerging victorious in his first election. Surprisingly, Joshi was victorious in all the elections from 2004 to 2019, winning four consecutive terms. Because the constituency has not elected any candidate for the fifth consecutive term, the election to Dharwad Lok Sabha has created curiosity among the people and political analysts now.
Joshi’s supporters have claimed that Joshi will surely create a record by winning the fifth term and setting a new precedent in the constituency. However, the Congress is still struggling to finalise a suitable candidate to take on Joshi. A senior Congress functionary said the Congress wants to wrest the seat from the BJP. Now, Joshi is endeavouring to win for the fifth consecutive term. It remains to be seen whether Joshi will end the tradition by securing a fifth term.
Who is Vinod Asuti?
The Congress party has fielded a youth leader from the Kuruba Community Vinod Asuti, from the Dharwad Parliamentary constituency. Considered as a close aide of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Asuti would be taking on four-time MP and Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi.
With this, the disgruntlement among the Kurubas who are in a sizable number over the lack of political representation in a political landscape in the region has been doused. Vinod Asuti was an aspirant for the Navalgund Assembly constituency in 2023, but he had to sacrifice as former MLA NH Konraddi wanted to contest from the same constituency.
Asuti, without a second thought, had stepped back supporting Konraddi. That sacrifice has now been fructified for Asuti.
