Bengaluru: BJP leader Anantkumar Hegde represented Uttara Kannada Lok Sabha segment in Karnataka for six terms and now gynecologist Anjali Nimbalkar is putting up a spirited fight seeking to turn the tide and "deliver" it for the Congress.
Dr Nimbalkar is taking on former Karnataka Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, who replaced Hegde, in this BJP stronghold.
A former Congress MLA, she lost the Assembly elections from Khanapur in Belagavi district last year.
The 62-year-old Kageri, a six-term MLA and a former minister, was also defeated in the Assembly polls from Sirsi.
"In the past 30 years, the voice of Uttara Kannada was not spoken and not even a single question was asked in the Parliament," Nimbalkar said in an apparent dig at Hegde.
If elected, she said her focus is to address the local issues related to forest dwellers, getting them 'patra' for their own land -- a battle they have been fighting for long.
Also on her priority list is getting a multispecialty hospital in Kumta as per people's demand, generating employment and focusing on tourism for the overall development of Uttara Kannada.
"Issues related to forest dwellers -- they want a 'patra' for their own land -- we will try and put forth these issues in the first session itself and we will see to it that maximum applications which are pending with the Central government get cleared during the first session itself," she said in an interview.
"So, our thing is that at least 50 per cent of the jobs should be given to the local Kannadigas in the Central schemes which are implemented in the district," she said.
Noting that Uttara Kannada has a combination of both beaches and temples, Nimbalkar said the district can be developed internationally in a much higher scale than "what actually Goa or Kerala is".
The Congress candidate is also banking on the five guarantee schemes launched by the Siddaramaiah-led government in Karnataka and the promises made by party in its manifesto at the national level.
Responding to a question, she expressed happiness that the Congress has fielded a total of six women candidates out of 28 Lok Sabha constituencies in Karnataka.
While campaigning, Nimbalkar said she was overwhelmed to see a large number of people, especially women, turning up for her rallies despite the intense heat in Uttara Kannada.
"They are very happy that the Congress has given a woman candidate and an educated candidate who herself is a doctor and a gynecologist. So they are excited that, yes, she can be our voice in the Parliament who can fight for our rights," the 47-year-old said.
"I have worked as an MLA (Khanapur), so they have seen my work in the Assembly and the expectations are like, yes, she will be the one who will be speaking for us and that faith is seen in their eyes," she said.
Nimbalkar strongly believes that when women enter any field, it brings a different perspective - be it in terms of management, policy formulation or even as homemakers.
Uttara Kannada is among the 14 constituencies going for polls in Karnataka under second phase on May 7.
Karnataka has 28 Lok Sabha seats and the first phase of polling was held on April 26.
Comments
I could not understand why Modi Govt is planning to abolish Muslim Personal Law which is not acceptable to name sake muslims who count less than 0.01 percent of muslim population in India. These are traitors of Islam and they are free to leave the religion if they do not agree with it. No one is forcing them to practice the religion and abide by its laws. I think they are acting as agents of enemies of Islam and being bribed by the enemieis. I appreciate the women of Hubballi for taking our processing condemning Govt proposal to abolich Muslim Personal Law and wish same marches in every city, town and village all over india. Govt should know that we Muslims are fully happy with Muslim Shariat and cannot accept any change or abolishing it. Govt should not interfere in it. In any name sake muslim is not willing to follow the Shariat none is going to force him or her and let them go to hell. None will care them. They are a wastage to our society. If Govt wishes these wastes to hug, let it do it.
In the main stream media they portray the bad effect of instant Triple Talaq (ITT) whereas the Govt. actually wants to end the whole Talaq system and get the Muslims on to their judiciary system which we are all fed up to deal with. According to me if we have done the Nikah using Muslim Personal Law then the Talaq has to be done by same Muslim Personal law.
First let Modi protect his own POOR Wife. Later let him think of others. Its like Mane yalli Maari Urige upakaari.
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