Karnataka - Tumkur   

Congress ahead in Madhugiri

TUMKUR: The announcement of byelection to the Madhugiri Assembly Constituency in Tumkur district has triggered political activity here.

The Madhugiri seat fell vacant after C. Gowrishankar, who was elected in the May 2008 election on Janata Dal (Secular) ticket, resigned to join the Bharatiya Janata Party. The B.S. Yeddyurappa Government appointed him Chairman of the State Small Industries Corporation. The BJP is most likely to field Mr. Gowrishankar’s father and former Minister C. Chennigappa for the bypoll from Madhugiri.

The Congress has already decided on fielding K.N. Rajanna. Mr. Gowrishankar defeated Mr. Rajanna of the Congress in the last election by a margin of 547 votes.

Aggrieved over desertion of the party by Mr. Gowrishankar, Janata Dal (Secular) president H.D. Deve Gowda is said to be very keen on retaining the Madhugiri seat to teach a lesson to Mr. Gowrishankar, Mr. Chennigappa and the BJP., which engineered defections under its “Operation Lotus.”

Sources in the Janata Dal (Secular) said Mr. Gowda had been considering fielding his son, H.D. Balakrishne Gowda, from Madhugiri.

Mr. Deve Gowda has a score to settle with Mr. Rajanna also. Mr. Rajanna was Congress MLC till 2002, when he rebelled against the party leadership. He later joined Janata Dal (Secular) and won the Bellavi Assembly seat in the district in the 2004 election.

On his return to the party, the Congress fielded him to contest the May 2008 election from Madhugiri.

In October 2007, Mr.Rajanna, who was still in JD(S), criticised Mr. Deve Gowda and Mr. Kumaraswamy for failing to transfer power to the BJP. The irony is that the BJP is unable to find a candidate to match the stature of Mr. Deve Gowda’s son and Mr. Rajanna. Mr. Yeddyurappa visited Mahdugiri on September 21 and studied the ground situation. Two days later, his ministerial colleagues B. Janardhana Reddy and Sriramulu paid a brief visit to Madhugiri. Rumours were agog that Mr. Reddy would field any of his relatives or one of his business associates. It is said the Reddy brothers have backed out. The party is left with only Mr. Chennigappa.

The BJP has so far not been able to establish a base for itself in Madhugiri. Mr. Rajanna has been vigorously campaigning ever since Mr. Gowrishankar quit the membership.

He and senior leaders of the Congress including D.K. Shivakumar, G. Parameshwar and G.S. Basavaraj, have completed three rounds of campaigning in Madhugiri taluk.

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Congress ahead in Madhugiri

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