In Bengaluru South, a key political battleground among Karnataka’s 28 Lok Sabha constituencies, the Indian National Congress (INC) is gearing up to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) stronghold in the forthcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Bangalore South has long been a stronghold for the BJP, remaining undefeated since 1991. The late Ananth Kumar won the Lok Sabha seat six times consecutively.
In the 2019 elections, the BJP’s current Member of Parliament, Tejasvi Surya, secured a significant victory margin of 27.87% over INC’s BK Hariprasad, becoming the youngest BJP MP in the Lok Sabha.
In 2014, BJP’s Ananth Kumar clinched the seat, defeating INC’s Nandan Nilekani with a substantial margin.
Serving as the President of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha since September 2020, Surya continues to wield influence both locally and nationally.
As the second phase of polling approaches on April 26, 2024, Bangalore South anticipates a fierce electoral battle. All eyes are on the intense contest between Tejasvi Surya and INC’s Soumya Reddy, who seeks to claim the parliamentary seat for Congress.
Reddy, elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Karnataka from Jayanagar in the 2018 Karnataka Assembly elections, defeated BJP’s B N Prahlad. She is also the daughter of Karnataka Muzrai and Transport Minister, Ramalinga Reddy.
Expressing confidence in his victory, Tejaswi Surya predicts a BJP win with a margin of over 5 lakh votes in the constituency.
“The people of Bengaluru South blessed a youngster like me with a margin of over 3.3 lakh votes in 2019 and gave a resounding mandate to Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji. This time, the citizens will ensure a historic third term for PM Modi Ji by a bigger margin of over 5 lakh votes,” Surya said.
Beyond the political landscape, Bangalore South’s demographics are significant. With approximately 20 lakh voters, including a notable percentage of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe voters, the constituency represents a diverse electorate. Despite its urban nature, it encompasses various social and economic backgrounds.