The Hindu : Attur may contest as independent

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 31, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bidar

Attur may contest as independent

By Our Staff Correspondent

BIDAR, MARCH 30. The former Minister, Basavaraj Patil Attur, who resigned from the Janata Dal (Secular) on Monday, has hinted that he will contest from the Basavakalyan Assembly Constituency as an independent.

At a meeting with his supporters in Basavakalyan on Tuesday, Mr. Attur said there would be a "great demand" for independent MLAs after the election as there were chances of a hung Assembly. He regretted not following the advice of the former Chief Minister, the late Ramakrishna Hegde, against join the Janata Dal (S).

Mr. Attur's supporters collected Rs. 22,000 on the spot to help him in case he decided to contest. Babu Honna Nayak, who resigned from the party along with Mr. Attur, said that he would consider contesting from Hulsoor as an independent.

Rajshri Swamy, another supporter of Mr. Attur and aspirant of the Janata Dal (S) ticket, told presspersons in Bidar on Tuesday that she would oppose the candidature of the former MLA, Gundappa Vakil, who had been given the `B' form by the party to contest from Aurad.

Asked if she would quit the party and contest as an independent, Ms. Swamy said she would take a decision before Wednesday, the last day for filing nomination papers. She hoped that the Janata Dal (S) would reward her for her services to the party and nominate her from Aurad.

Mr. Attur won from the Basavakalyan constituency in 1983, 1985, 1989 and 1994 on the Janata Party and the Janata Dal ticket.

He was a member of the Hegde and J.H. Patel ministries. He contested on the Janata Dal (United) ticket and was defeated by M.G. Mule of the Janata Dal (S) in 1999. The Janata Dal (S) has fielded Mallikarjun Khuba in the constituency this time.

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Attur may contest as independent