The Hindu : Karnataka News : Bangarappa being ignored?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 06, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Bangarappa being ignored?

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, SEPT. 5. The question has arisen whether the State BJP leaders are ignoring the former Chief Minister, S. Bangarappa, who not only wrested the Shimoga Lok Sabha seat from the Congress, but was also instrumental in the party securing some of the Assembly and Lok Sabha seats.

Going by the observation that newcomers to the BJP are not able to carry their seniority and standing in their former parties into it, the answer appears to be in the positive.

Mr. Bangarappa, who was seen for the second time today at the Rashtriya Swabhiman Satyagraha which began on September 1, came to attend the media conference. While the State President of the BJP, H.N. Ananth Kumar, and the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, B.S. Yediyurappa, were seated in the front row along with the former Union Ministers, Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, and Maneka Gandhi, Mr. Bangarappa was sitting in the second row.

Mr. Ananth Kumar, who introduced most of the leaders, including the former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Prem Kumar Dhumal, and presidents of the State units of the party from north India, failed to mention Mr. Bangarappa's name.

Later, during his speech at the public meeting, Mr. Ananth Kumar, who acknowledged the presence of most of the leaders chose to ignore him, although Mr. Bangarappa had addressed the gathering only a while ago. But Mr. Jaitley in his speech mentioned Mr. Bangarappa's name.

After the leaders courted arrest, Mr. Bangarappa, who was leaving the pandal alone, looked upset when this reporter sought his reaction to the completion of 100 days by the N. Dharam Singh Government. "The Dharam Singh Government has not even taken off. I will speak later," he said.

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