The BJP held onto the Belgaum Lok Sabha constituency for the fifth time in a row. Former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar clinched victory with a substantial lead of 1,75,574 votes over his main opponent, Mrinal Hebbalkar, the son of Women and Child Welfare Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar. Former Union Minister, the late Suresh Angadi, secured victory in Belgaum for four consecutive terms in the past.
Following his passing during the Covid-19 pandemic, Suresh Angadi’s wife, Mangala Angadi, emerged victorious in the by-election. This time around, the BJP chose Shettar for the seat, who won convincingly.
Shettar had an advantage, but the landslide victory came as a surprise. Throughout the election process, Shettar consistently maintained a lead, maintaining it until the end. City voters notably influenced his win. Interestingly, Shettar secured the second-highest number of votes, 47,017, from the Belgaum (Rural) assembly segment, which is under the representation of Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar, causing considerable embarrassment for the minister.
Shettar garnered the largest lead of 73,220 votes in Belgaum South, which is represented by MLA Abhay Patil. The third-highest lead of 23,897 votes came from the Gokak segment, represented by MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi, followed by 21,397 in Bailhongal, 16,006 in Arabhavi, and 2,401 in Belgaum (North).
Congress candidate Mrinal Hebbalkar secured the largest lead of 16,951 votes in Savadatti and 402 votes in Ramdurg. Jagadish Shettar amassed a total of 7,56,471 votes, while Mrinal Hebbalkar received 5,80,897 votes. Mahadev Patil, representing the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES), garnered only 9,425 votes.
Addressing the media, Jagadish Shettar expressed, “This victory is significant for me. I have been actively involved with Belgaum for the last three decades. Having served as the MLA for Dharwad for six terms, I am committed to extending the same level of dedication to Belgaum. My focus will be on finishing ongoing and pending projects and initiating new developments for the constituency.”
In a retaliatory move, the Jarkiholi brothers, Gokak MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi and Arabhavi MLA Balachandra Jarkiholi, fully backed Shettar as anticipated. They not only secured victory for the party’s candidate but also sought retribution against Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar. Speaking to the media in Gokak, Ramesh indirectly referenced Hebbalkar, stating, “It was my negative energy that led to her son’s defeat in the elections.”
