It was a busy Monday morning in Bengaluru South's Jayanagar 4th block market when I met Saraswati (64) and Gauri (48) – two friends who work at a jewellery store in the area.
As we began discussing the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka, Gauri, who lives in Bommanahalli, says:
"We knew it was election time, when PM [Narendra] Modi announced a reduction in domestic LPG prices last month. It's an election gimmick, but I'll take it because we're in need of it. Irrespective of whether it's Tejasvi Surya or not, I'll vote for the BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party]."
To which Saraswati, a Chikpet resident, responded:
"You can't only use PM Modi's name to get back to power, can you? You're forgetting about the Congress' five guarantee [social welfare] scheme in Karnataka, which helped a lot of us. Shouldn't we vote for a party that stands by us?"
This conversation pretty much sums up the contest in Bengaluru South ahead of the polling on 26 April in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
Not only is it a battle between 'Modi factor' and BJP's 'development' narrative vs the Congress' five guarantee scheme, but this constituency – a BJP fortress since 1991– is witnessing a prestige contest between two youth candidates: Incumbent MP Tejasvi Surya (33) and the Congress' Sowmya Reddy (41).
Sowmya, who lost the 2023 Assembly polls from Jayanagar by 16 votes, faces an uphill task to defeat Surya, who's one of the BJP's staunch Hindutva faces. So, what will it be in the Lok Sabha elections? The Quint spoke to voters to understand the mood on ground.
Surya's 'Report-Card' vs Ramalinga Reddy's Political Acumen
One of the largest constituencies in terms of voters and size, Bengaluru South, which has eight Assembly segments, has a sizeable Brahmin population.
With an electorate of over 22 lakh, the constituency has elected a BJP MP the last eight consecutive times. In the 2023 Assembly elections, the BJP won five seats and the Congress three.
Making his debut in the 2019 polls, Surya had defeated senior Congress leader BK Hariprasad by over 3.3 lakh votes.
Venkatesh Thogarighatta, a Bengaluru-based political analyst, said that in 2019, Tejasvi Surya had the "beginner's luck."
"In 2019, what people had seen of him was only of how well he speaks. That's why people had a lot of hope... But this time, the challenge will that they have seen what he has done, what he has not done, and will vote based on that."
He will be judged based on "his performance – and not his charm and appeal," the analyst believed.
In March 2024, Surya released a five-year report card, highlighting several initiatives, including the two new phases of the Metro and development of the 280-km Satellite Town Ring Road project in Bengaluru.
For voters like Suresh, a daily-wage worker in Basavangudi, the report card was a "great way to assess their MP."
"He is one of the few MPs who released his achievements in five years. He is not just riding on the love people have for Modi but is telling us exactly what he has done and what he will do. For a common man like me, it is very helpful."Suresh told The Quint
Meanwhile, 34-year-old Salman, an IT professional and resident of Iliyasnagar, believed that Surya's polarising politics took a centre stage over his work.
"He is known to peddle hate and disturb communal harmony between communities. That is his politics... His report card is just a paper. He hasn't brought anything concrete like how he is claiming. Most of it was approved before he became an MP."Salman
What makes the battle for Bengaluru South more interesting is Tejasvi's challenger Sowmya, who is the daughter of Karnataka's Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy. Ramalinga Reddy represents BTM Layout Assembly constituency, while Surya’s uncle Ravi Subramanya is Basavanagudi MLA.
A powerful and influential politician, Ramalinga has a strong grip over BTM Layout and Jayanagar constituencies.
"Ramalinga Reddy is an experienced politician. That, along with his political acumen and ability to strike deals and stitch alliances, will work in Sowmya's favour. Plus, she is likely to get sympathy votes from the 2023 elections in Jayanagar," Thogarighatta said.
Surya, a Brahmin, and Sowmya, a Reddy (OBC), are also pinning hopes on support from their respective communities.
A BJP leader from Bengaluru told The Quint that while the eight Assembly seats are fairly equally split between the BJP and the Congress, the constituency has consistently voted for the party at the national level.
"The vote is based on who will be the next PM. Everyone wants PM Modi. Voters here have always had better clarity that the BJP has national interest in mind better than the Congress," the leader said.
Will Sowmya Reddy Pose a Tough Fight? Voters Speak
If Tejasvi Surya’s campaign revolved around the “Deshakke Modi, Dakshinakke Surya (Modi for India, Surya for South)" slogan, the Congress focused on the "Chombu" (empty vessel) metaphor which explains the state's alleged discontent over "neglect by the central government," and the BJP's "communal" narrative.
There is also a stark difference in their campaigns. While Sowmya was seen holding meetings with residents of lower-middle class, Surya met people during their morning walks at parks, had discussions over coffee and breakfast, and met residents of apartment complexes in areas inclined towards the BJP.
When Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah campaigned for Sowmya Reddy on 8 April in Basavangudi, which The Quint attended, he said “Sowmya’s win was his win”.
Making a reference to the 2023 elections last year, Siddaramaiah said that she was treated “unfairly” and urged people to give her justice in “the people’s court”.
A 42-year-old domestic help, who attended the campaign, and is a resident of the Ragigguda slum in JP Nagar, said that though she felt that PM Modi was a "better candidate" in the national picture, she would vote for Sowmya Reddy solely due to her "kind and goodwill nature."
"Compared to Tejasvi, I feel Sowmya is a more accessible person. Even when she did not hold any post, she was on ground, helping the poor and needy, especially during COVID-19 lockdown. She is also very sensitive to people's problems and raises important issues."42-year-old domestic help
“The only time we heard Tejasvi Surya during the pandemic was when he read out a list of Muslim names and said there was a scam in allotting beds. He’s all talk, but no show. This is just vote-bank politics,” she added.
Meanwhile, a 26-year-old resident of Koramangala, who did not wish to be named, believed that though Ramalinga Reddy enjoys fair popularity in the constituency, Sowmya failed to reach the expectations of the electorate.
"She is a product of nepotism riding on Ramalinga Reddy's wonderful work in his constituency. We have not seen much to dispute or prove otherwise. As far as Bengaluru South is concerned, I don't think she's as established as Surya and needs to work more and bring in a different 'mindset' to grow her presence."First-time voter from Bengaluru South
‘Not an Easy Win for Tejasvi As 2019'
A few voters The Quint spoke to said that this time Tejasvi Surya's win will not be as easy as it was in 2019. Many believed that he did "not deliver up to expectations" in his five-year tenure.
“Many voters like me who voted for him were attracted to the BJP in the past, but they may change their position as the situation is fluid this time around. I feel Tejasvi has been talking about development in his speeches, but I can't see any difference,” Ramesh, a shopkeeper at Padmanabhanagar, said.
Harish Venkataramaiah (59), a long-time resident of Basavangudi, said that Surya's handling of the multi-crore scam involving the Guru Raghavendra Sahakara Bank Niyamitha (SGRC), a co-operative bank in Basavangudi, might make voters like him not vote for the BJP.
The SGRC Bank scam impacted over 20,000 depositors, with allegations that over Rs 1,000 crore have been misappropriated.
On 13 April, Tejasvi Surya and Basavangudi MLA Ravi Subramanya held a meeting with SGRC customers affected by the scam. However, things got heated when depositors tried to raise the issue of the bank’s revival with him. It ended with the MP walking out of the venue at a time when he was using the issue for his election campaign, with claims of returning money to 85% of the depositors.
After the walkout, in a tweet, Surya accused the Congress of deliberately sending protesters to foil his meeting.
"It's very insulting that the MP is accusing us of being Congress stooges, when all we did was go there to ask legitimate questions as to where our money is. He couldn't answer our questions and ran away, but is now calling us goons... In the 2023 Assembly elections, they promised to help us, but went missing after May. Now they came back since it's election time."Harish Venkataramaiah, a victim of the scam
Venkataramaiah further added, "Tejasvi Surya will only gain because of his Hindutva factor. He knows where he is getting his votes from, so his speeches are catered to them. But this time, Sowmya Reddy is giving him a strong fight. Definitely, his vote percentage will reduce."
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