The Hindu : A boon for BJP, Congress

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 15, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

A boon for BJP, Congress

By Pramod Mellegatti

SHIMOGA, MARCH 14. The former Chief Minister, S. Bangarappa, and the former Working President of the Janata Party State unit, Ayanur Manjunath, have given a boost to the BJP and the Congress, respectively. Their decision to jump ship came at a time when the two parties were frantically searching for a suitable candidate to contest the Lok Sabha elections from the Shimoga constituency.

Before they changed parties, Mr. Bangarappa and Mr. Manjunath had been almost certain candidates of the Congress and the Janata Party, respectively, for the Shimoga seat. Now they find themselves pitted against each other for the fourth time.

Many eyebrows were raised when Mr. Manjunath resigned from the BJP about five months ago only to join the Janata Party and become Working President of the State unit. He was the President of the BJP district unit when he resigned. His resignation came as a shock to the BJP leaders.

The only candidates who could have replaced Mr. Manjunath were the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council, D.H. Shankaramurthy, the senior leader and MLC, B.S. Yediyurappa, and the General Secretary of the State unit, K.S. Eshwarappa. But their track record would not have enthused the BJP leadership as they had lost Lok Sabha elections earlier. While Mr. Shankaramurthy lost to the Congress candidate, S.T. Quadri in 1980 and Mr. Yediyurappa was defeated by the Congress candidate, K.G. Shivappa in the 1991 elections. Mr. Eshwarappa contested unsuccessfully against the former Prime Minister, H.D. Deve Gowda, in the parliamentary byelection from Kanakapura. The three were also reluctant to contest.

Therefore, Mr. Bangarappa filled the vacuum and came to be regarded as a "readymade" candidate for the Lok Sabha election from Shimoga.

With Mr. Bangarappa's exit, the Congress was faced with a dilemma. The Congress leaders, including the Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, became reconciled to the idea of asking Mr. Manjunath to become the party candidate. The offer from the Congress could not have come at a more opportune time for Mr. Manjunath as he was looking for a chance to leave the Janata Party.

The fact that Mr. Bangarappa joined the BJP in the presence of the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and that Mr. Manjunath joined the Congress in the presence of its President, Sonia Gandhi, shows the importance that the parties attached to their entry.

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