Karkala constituency is well-recognized in the state for various reasons. Once upon a time it was the strong base of Congress. It ruled it for three decades without any hurdles. This constituency has also given the only chief minister from the undivided district of Dakshina Kannada, that is, M Veerappa Moily. 

Daijiworld team decided to find out the thoughts of the candidates of the two major parties Congress and BJP. It was young firebrand Sunil Kumar of BJP who made Congress candidate Gopal Bhandary bite the dust in the last elections. Once again the two powerful leaders are pitched against each other.

Sunil Kumar:

Sunil Kumar, a staunch Hindutva leader, was flanked by a number of men and women BJP campaigners while he spoke to Daijiworld. His confidence was immense and he place much trust in the support of the people.

'BJP will surely get huge support from the people this elections. Usually we see party workers and candidates canvassing but the uniqueness of this election is that the voters are themselves campaigning for BJP, as they are happy with the development works done by the BJP government and me. This kind of support from the people has boosted our morale to a new high and our campaigning is moving on at a swift pace.'

'Going by the support of the people it looks like we will win with a bigger margin than last time,' he said.

Asked to list three main development works he has done in the last three years during his stint as Karkala MLA, he said, 'In the past 20 months we have done development works worth Rs 150 crore. Besides giving basic amenities to the people, our most important achievement is establishment of the first government women's polytechnic college in Udupi at the cost of Rs 1 crore. Also, to boost tourism we brought out three schemes and released Rs 2.5 crore for drinking water projects at Hebri and Nitte.'

There have been allegations against Sunil Kumar that he has been attracting only the Hindu vote bank. When asked what he has done to turn the minority community in his favour, he said, 'I joined politics on the basis of Hindutva and will fight this election on the same lines. I will not try to please anyone for the sake of power. I will do whatever I can within the limits of law. There is no question of changing myself for pleasing the minorities just because of elections.'

Asked whether he has the support of any minority groups, he said, 'There are several people from minorities who have liked my work. We have chosen a member from the minority as the president of APMC. Congress had created an atmosphere of fear for the minorities but that fear vanished after we came to power. It is clear that minorities are also supporting us everywhere'

When asked what his priorities will be if he wins the election, he said, 'I will make sure that the basic amenities are available for every family in every village. The government schemes should reach every individual. In addition I want to strengthen Karkala's economy by bringing two or three companies here which will also create jobs for people. I have already held talks with a couple of private companies. If I come to power I will work towards completing this task.'

Gopal Bhandary:

Congress candidate from Karkala Gopal Bhandary spoke to Daijiworld while on his canvassing trip in Belman

'People are showing good response and support for Congress in Karkala. Even the youth who had supported BJP last elections are with Congress now. The reason is that BJP MLA Sunil Kumar and the BJP government did not do anything for the welfare of the common people. They are only making promises, slogans, speeches but have not introduced any welfare scheme for the poor in Karkala. When we were in power we had legalized the lands of 14,500 farmers who had cultivated on government lands. But in BJP's reign the remaining 2,500 applications from farmers are lying untouched.'

Continuing his attack on the opposition he said, 'BJP people are telling nothing but lies. They have announced all sorts of provisions in the budgets but have not implemented anything. They talk of spending crores on development but nothing has been done so far.'

'When we were in power there were no riots or incidents of violence in Karkala even though the rest of the district was affected. But since the time BJP MLA came to Karkala, there have have been some 20-25 bundhs for even the smallest of reasons. BJP has tried to divide the people and sow the seeds of hatred in their hearts. People want an atmosphere of trust, tolerance and peace and therefore they are ready to vote against BJP. Our workers too are aiming towards this end. We are confident of winning by a big margin.'

When asked what he has done to win the hearts of the voters after his defeat in the last elections, he said, 'I have never left my constituency in the last 3-4 years and never lost touch with the people. Even though I was not the elected representative, I served the contituency as a former MLA. I was with the victims of the Chara land scandal, raising my voice for them. When the poor did not get ration cards I again fought for the victims. I have helped the poor in every way, because of which people have placed their trust in me.'