The Hindu : Karnataka News : BJP has high hopes in Chikmagalur

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 21, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

BJP has high hopes in Chikmagalur

By M.K. Vinod Kumar

CHIKMAGALUR, APRIL 20. The BJP is making a strong bid to open its account in at least two Assembly constituencies in Chikmagalur district.

C.T. Ravi, President of the State unit of BJP Yuva Morcha, who lost to C.R. Sageer Ahmed, Minister for Housing, in the 1999 elections, is making a determined effort to consolidate non-Congress voters. He has a wide following among the youth in the constituency.

Mr. Sageer Ahmed, who has completed three successive terms in the Assembly, won in 1994 and 1999 by a margin of less than 1,000 votes. He benefited from the division of non-Congress votes in multi-cornered contests. The other candidates in the fray this time are K.E. Kumaraswamy of the Janata Dal (Secular) and K.P. Nagesh of the Janata Party who are contesting the Assembly elections for the first time.

The Chikmagalur constituency continuously elected Congress candidates till 1983 when the Janata Party came to power. Mr. Sageer Ahmed emerged victorious in 1989, 1994, and 1999, which was some kind of a record as no candidate had been re-elected till then.

The Minister for Women and Child Development, Motamma, faces a stiff challenge from the former Minister, B.B. Ningaiah in Mudigere (SC) constituency, which is a predominantly coffee growing area.

The entry of D.K. Taradevi Siddhartha as the Lok Sabha candidate has bolstered the chances of Mr. Ningaiah who was defeated in 1999.

N.P. Kumaraswamy of the BJP and S. Sundaresh of the Communist Party of India, who came second and third, respectively, in the 1999 elections, are also in the fray. The CPI has fielded Mr. Sundaresh against Ms. Motamma despite reaching an understanding with the Congress.

In Sringeri constituency, there is likely to be a photo finish. D.B. Chandre Gowda, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, faces D.N. Jeevaraj of the BJP and H.T. Rajendra of the Janata Dal (S).

Mr. Chandre Gowda, who contested for the first time from this constituency in 1999, enjoyed the support of Janata Dal workers as the former Minister, H.G. Govinde Gowda, did not contest.

He has failed to strengthen his hold in the constituency and there is discontent among party workers on the allotment of development works.

Mr. Jeevaraj and Mr. Rajendra are natives of N.R. Pura taluk, which is part of the Sringeri Assembly constituency, while Mr. Chandre Gowda is a native of Mudigere taluk.

Caste plays a major factor in the plains comprising Kadur, Birur, and Tarikere Assembly segments. The Sadar Lingayat community, which is economically and politically strong, is opposed by members of the Nonamba sect among the Kurubas.

In Kadur constituency, Marulasiddappa of the Congress is making a strong bid to defeat K.M. Krishnamurthy of the Janata Dal (S), who represented the constituency in 1994 and 1999.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka