It has been raining in most parts of Karnataka, giving respite to people from the unbearable heat. The rains had brought smiles to the ruling Congress, which is up against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP in the parliamentary elections, as the state grapples with water scarcity. The joy, however, was short-lived. The brutal murder of Neha Hiremath by her alleged friend Fayaz in Hubli has sparked outrage across the state, triggering panic in the Congress camp.
The girl’s father Niranjan Hiremath is a Congress member of the Hubli-Dharwad City Corporation and has expressed shock over the casual statements made by Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah about his daughter’s gruesome death.
The BJP, which had been fighting the elections on caste, seems to have sensed an opportunity to spin the ‘Love Jihad’ angle and has gone all out against the Siddaramaiah government, alleging minority appeasement had led to killings of these kind.
The BJP, which was not depending much on Hindutva in this election, was worried about Congress’s caste realignment and the perceived success of five guarantees across the poor and lower class in the state.
To make the election less Modi-centric, the Congress is harping on issues like Centre’s “betrayal” with the state, denial of revenue sharing, and successful implementation of five main guarantees within six months of coming to power. To beat the BJP’s Lingayat card, the Congress has also fielded five young Lingayat candidates in northern Karnataka.
The ground reports were suggesting a tight contest in most of the seats, even giving the Congress a clear lead on 8-10 seats in the absence of any serious communal issue.
The Hubli incident, however, has cast a shadow over the political strategy and the Congress fears it can change the mood in favour of BJP, causing huge electoral damage to the party’s prospects.
Many in Congress feel that the reaction of the home minister and chief minister should have been measured and the tone has made it a communal issue, helping BJP return to Hindutva.
“What has happened is a huge tragedy. It is a barbaric act. It may be the act of a jilted lover. Only a thorough investigation can determine it. Some of our leaders have jumped the gun without realising the gravity of the situation. It has given an impression that we are soft on such heinous crimes,” said a senior Congress leader.
“In 2014, it was Modi for a change. In 2019, it was Pulwama attack. In 2024, till two days ago, there was no big issue for the BJP. I am sure they won’t let this issue die,” another Congress leader said.
The BJP has asked its cadre to protest against the Hubli incident and the government’s immediate response to it.
The chilling murder of a young girl will surely dominate the campaign closer to voting days and if the Congress fails to counter it effectively, then there can be disastrous results in the elections.
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