Former Education Minister Kimmane Ratnakar is facing tough competition from R.M. Manjunatha Gowda, former president of Shivamogga DCC Bank, for the Congress ticket to contest for Thirthahalli constituency in Shivamogga district.
The Congress party has announced its candidates for Sorab, Bhadravathi and Sagar constituencies in the district. Madhu Bangarappa, B.K. Sangameshwara and Beluru Gopal Krishna are contesting for the three seats, respectively. The party is yet to choose candidates for Shivamogga Rural, Shivamogga, Shikaripur and Thirthahalli seats.
Thirthahalli is the land of poet Kuvempu and socialist Shantaveri Gopalagowda, who is known for his popular ‘one note, one vote’ campaign in the 1950s. People contributed funds for the campaign those days. Gopalagowda’s birth centenary is being celebrated this year.
Kimmane Rathnakar, two-time Congress MLA, and Manjunatha Gowda, who joined the Congress after quitting the JD(S) in 2021, are the strong contenders for the ticket in Thirthahalli. Rathnakar was hopeful that his name would be cleared on the first list itself. As the constituency did not figure in the first list, Rathnakar and his followers are anxious.
Mr. Rathnakar, who was a minister in the Siddaramaiah-led Congress cabinet, was dropped during the reshuffle of the cabinet. He accepted the party’s decision, unlike a few other leaders in the party. He remained active in the party even after he lost in 2018 polls against Araga Jnanendra of the BJP. He took out a protest march from Kuppali, birthplace of K.V. Puttappa — Kuvempu, to Thirthahalli last year, when there were allegations that the text book committee of the Karnataka Government insulted Kuvempu and other writers while revising the text books. Many intellectuals and writers took part in the protest march. Again, he took out a protest march in the taluk when the Forest Department cleared the alleged encroachments by damaging the standing crop.
Divided opinions
It is said that a section of party leaders, including Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah, is in favour of fielding Kimmane Rathnakar for the Thirthahalli seat. However, KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar is supporting Manjunatha Gowda. Workers of the party in the Thirthahalli constituency are also divided. Many of those who have identified with Kimmane Rathnakara are not in favour of campaigning for Manjunatha Gowda. And, the supporters of Manjunatha Gowda, who were earlier with the JD(S), want their leader to get a chance. Besides that, there are many who believe that the Congress can win the seat against Home Minister Araga Jnanendra, who is expected to get the BJP ticket, only if both the leaders join hands, no matter who gets the chance to contest on the party ticket.
