You can’t inherit any legacy without people’s approval: Congress Bagalkot candidate Samyuktha Patil

How has the campaign been? What do you feel about your prospects?

I am getting a very positive feeling. All our Congress workers are doing an excellent job. All our leaders and MLAs are putting their best foot forward. I think people want change. They want somebody who works for the development of Bagalkot. I think people will vote for change.

You are up against the BJP’s P C Gaddigoudar, who has been an MP four times now. The BJP has highlighted that you hail from the neighbouring Bijapur Lok Sabha constituency to tag you as an “outsider”. How are you tackling that?

I have not been tagged as an outsider. Literally every single place I go to, I am told ‘you are our daughter’. I was born in this undivided Bijapur district.

At every single place and every single rally, I have been welcomed. I think I have come to my house. I don’t see any feeling of an outsider. Though a few people in the BJP are trying to create this narrative, I don’t think it’s really working. That is why they stopped using that tactic also.

Gaddigoudar has a very vast political experience. However, the incumbent MP has not been in touch with the people and has not worked for the development of the constituency.

You are among the children of sitting ministers who are contesting the elections. Do you consider it a detriment given the narrative the BJP is pushing? Or will being the daughter of a minister help your prospects?

All I would like to say is that I have worked in the party organisation for a very long time, for around eight years officially. I have worked in the NSUI, Mahila Congress and the Youth Congress. I was elected as a Youth Congress representative with the highest number of votes in Karnataka.

Politics is such a profession where people or voters have to take the ultimate call. No person can declare himself as a politician. Politics is a field where people have to give their seal of approval, without which you will not be able to inherit any legacy. There are a lot of politicians whose children do not end up becoming successful politicians. I agree that there is an advantage you get as a politician’s child, because you get to meet people to whom a lot of people do not have access. So, you are born with a natural advantage.

If you are elected, what are your plans for Bagalkot constituency?

I have a couple of things I would really like to work on. One is the completion of Bagalkot-Kudachi railway line, which has been in the pipeline for 30 years. Though the length is only 140 km, it is still not complete.

Second is to bring new industries to Bagalkot. This is a place that is affected by the Upper Krishna Project issue. A lot of young people do not have jobs here and their families have lost agricultural land. So, it is very important that jobs are generated here by bringing industries.

Tourism is also an area of focus, because we have sites such as Badami, Aihole, Pattadakal and Lakkundi. Another issue is to ensure justice to the people who have lost their land to the Upper Krishna Project. This issue needs to be highlighted as people made a large sacrifice to improve irrigation in the region. They are yet to be adequately compensated. It is a multi-pronged problem.

Your candidature has faced some opposition from another aspirant, Veena Kaashappanavar. Will that have an effect?

The issue was addressed in the first few days itself. She was among the leaders who were with me when I filed the nomination. There are no differences.