The Hindu : An arena for high-profile leaders

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Mar 11, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

An arena for high-profile leaders

By Muralidhara Khajane

HASSAN, MARCH 10. When the President of the Janata Dal (Secular), H.D. Deve Gowda, became the Prime Minister in 1996, the Hassan Lok Sabha constituency gained recognition as a key constituency. It drew attention once again in the 1999 election when it defeated a "former Prime Minister" — Mr. Deve Gowda.

Some of the most influential leaders in the political arena of the State have come from Hassan. They include Mr. Deve Gowda, H.N. Nanje Gowda, G. Puttaswamy Gowda, H.C. Srikantaiah, Harnahalli Ramaswamy, B.B. Shivappa, and K.H. Hanume Gowda. Leaders such as late S. Shivappa, Gundappa Gowda, Yashodamma Dasappa, A.G. Ramachandra Rao, Boranna Gowda, and Nuggehalli Shivappa are also from Hassan.

There are 6,51,697 women voters and 6,44,603 men voters in the constituency (as on January 1, 2004). Thirty-five per cent of voters are from the Vokkaliga community, and 29 per cent from the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. The other strong communities are the Lingayats (who form 15 per cent of the electorate), Muslims (six per cent), and Christians (two per cent).

The constituency comprises eight Assembly segments — Hassan, Arsikere, Gandsi, Shravanabelagola, Sakleshpur-Alur, Arkalgud, Belur, and Holenarsipur.

Among them, Hassan has the highest number of voters (2,04,951) and Belur (reserved) the lowest (1,38,039).

Hassan was represented by H. Siddananjappa of the Indian National Congress for three consecutive terms in 1952, 1957, and 1962. Mr. Nuggehalli Shivappa, an independent candidate, sprang a surprise by defeating candidates from political parties to win in the elections in 1967 and 1971. S. Nanjesh Gowda of the Bharatiya Lok Dal (BLD) defeated Mr. Shivappa who contested as a Congress nominee in 1977. The constituency once again favoured the Congress by electing Mr. H.N. Nanje Gowda in 1980 and 1984. In the changed political scenario after the split in the Janata Dal, Mr. Nanje Gowda, who contested as the nominee of the Janata Dal (Secular), was defeated by Mr. H.C. Srikantaiah of the Congress in 1989.

Mr. Deve Gowda, who contested for the first time from the constituency to Lok Sabha in 1991 as the Janata Party candidate, defeated the Congress candidate, Mr. Srikantaiah. The victory changed the course of Mr. Gowda's political career.

In the 1996 election, Y.N. Rudresh Gowda of the Janata Dal defeated S.M. Anand of Congress (Mr. Deve Gowda contested for the Ramanagaram Assembly seat in the 1996 election). Mr. Deve Gowda contested in 1998 and defeated Mr. Srikantaiah. In 1999, Mr. Puttaswamy Gowda, who is seen as the archrival of Mr. Deve Gowda, defeated the former Prime Minister by a margin of 1,41,757 votes.

The electorate is unhappy at the pace of projects in the constituency.

The airport project, conceived in view of the proposed Special Economic Zone, and the Bangalore-Hassan railway line, have not completed. The work on the Hemavathi and Yagachi Reservoir Project is not making rapid progress even after the formation of the Cauvery Neeravari Nigam.

The farmers in the Bagur-Navile tunnel area have not been paid compensation for loss of crops. The Bagur-Navile lift irrigation project has been inaugurated before the completion of the canals.

Mr. Deve Gowda has kept everybody guessing about his plans. The Congress is reportedly planning to field Mr. Srikantaiah as Mr. Puttaswamy Gowda wants to contest for the Assembly from Holenarsipur. It is learnt that the Bharatiya Janata Party, which was searching for a suitable candidate, is planning to field the former MLA and former MLC, B.V. Kari Gowda.

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