The competition in the Belgaum Lok Sabha election intensifies as women and child welfare minister Laxmi Hebbalkar and BJP candidate Jagadish Shettar exchange accusations of being insider-outsider, respectively. Mrinal, the son of Laxmi Hebbalkar, is contesting for the Belgaum Lok Sabha seat on behalf of the Congress party.
Laxmi asserts that this election symbolizes the pride of Belgaum’s residents. “It’s a crucial moment for Belgaum voters to choose between a local candidate or an outsider who switched to BJP from Congress for self-interest,” she emphasized. She criticized Shettar, stating that despite being the district in-charge minister during the Covid-19 period, he failed to address the needs of the district. She made sure to highlight to voters that she comes from the influential Panchamasali community. Addressing reporters on Wednesday, Laxmi Hebbalkar stated, “The lineage of Rani Channamma runs through both myself and my son.”
Shettar, who commenced his campaign on Wednesday, appeared to be striving to assure voters that he is not an outsider. “If Hubballi is my birthplace, Belgaum is my workplace. I have been actively involved in organizing the party in Belgaum for many years. Serving as a district minister of Belgaum, I have contributed significantly to its development. As a former chief minister, I played a pivotal role in the completion of Suvarna Vidhana Soudha (SVS). I am familiar with Belgaum and its leaders. In the days to come, I intend to make Belgaum my permanent residence,” he remarked. The residence of the current MP, Mangala Angadi, in Vishweshwaraiah Nagar, has become a hub for BJP’s political activities in Belgaum. Mangala stated that she received instructions from BJP national president JP Nadda to work towards ensuring Shettar’s victory.
“We had urged a ticket to one of our family members and they have chosen Shettar, who is our family member” she stated. Shettar’s son is wedded to Shraddha, Angadi’s daughter.
