The Hindu : Shimoga to witness the clash of titans

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 07, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Shimoga

Shimoga to witness the clash of titans

By Pramod Mellegatti

SHIMOGA, MARCH 6. With the State Working President of the Janata Party, Ayanur Manjunath, crossing over to the Congress on Friday with the sole purpose of contesting against his traditional rival, S. Bangarappa, in the coming Lok Sabha elections from the Shimoga constituency, political circles are rife with the possible implications this can have on the electoral fortunes of Mr. Bangarappa.

With this, the Shimoga Lok Sabha constituency is all set to witness a clash of the titans as Mr. Bangarappa and Mr. Manjuanth are back in the arena pitted against each other.

But this time, the only difference is that Mr. Bangarappa, who fought the past three elections on different party nominations, will contest the elections as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate, while Mr. Manjunath, who fought the past three elections as the BJP candidate, will contest the elections as a Congress nominee.

The fact that the Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, the KPCC President, B. Janardhana Poojary, and the AICC General Secretary in-charge of State, Vilasrao Deshmukh, accompanied Mr. Manjunath to Delhi where he joined the party, only speaks of the seriousness with which the Congress is getting ready to "tackle Mr. Bangarappa," who left the party along with his son, Kumar Bangarappa.

The Chief Minister, who could not conceal his anger over Mr. Bangarappa's decision to quit the Congress and join the BJP, has reportedly given a call to the party workers to defeat him on his own turf.

The manner in which the Congress leaders went out of their way to take Mr. Manjunath into the party is indicative of their determination to ensure Mr. Bangarappa's defeat. According to reports reaching here, the Congress leaders were persuading Mr. Manjunath to join the party ever since Mr. Bangarappa made known his intention to leave the Congress.

But Mr. Manjunath, it is said, had suggested to the Congress leaders that they enter into a poll alliance with the Janata Party. But owing to "mounting" pressure by the Congress leadership, he is supposed to have changed his stand, according to sources. The BJP, which was apparently jubilant over Mr. Bangarappa joining the party, is said to be in a state of shock over Mr. Manjunath crossing over to the Congress. The party is well aware of Mr. Manjunath's influence in the region and his ability to give Mr. Bangarappa a good fight.

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