The Hindu : Karnataka News : `Teach Bangarappa a lesson'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 24, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka

`Teach Bangarappa a lesson'

Special Correspondent

Shimoga Lok Sabha byelection thrust on the people, says Yediyurappa

SHIMOGA: B.S. Yediyurappa, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly and Bharatiya Janata Party leader, had a dig at the former Chief Minister S. Bangarappa for resigning from the Lok Sabha "without assigning any valid reason."

``We gave Mr. Bangarappa (who has also resigned from the BJP and joined the Samajwadi Party) political shelter when he badly needed it. Now, it seems, he does not need our party's support any more. After all, what is it that he has done after he was elected to the Lok Sabha,'' asked Mr. Yediyurappa while addressing a conference of the gram panchayat members who were elected recently with his party's support in the district. He said the byelection to the Lok Sabha from Shimoga was unnecessary and it has been thrust on the people by Mr. Bangarappa to satisfy his whim.

Mr. Bangarappa has decided to contest the Lok Sabha byelection, this time as the Samajwadi Party candidate. "People should teach Mr. Bangarappa a lesson and put an end to his political opportunism by ensuring that his bicycle (symbol of the Samajwadi Party) does not go beyond Sorab (Mr. Bangarappa's native taluk)," Mr. Yediyurappa remarked.

He wondered why Mr. Bangarappa has not asked his supporters — Hartalu Halappa and Beluru Gopalakrishna, who were elected to the Assembly on the BJP ticket from the Hosnagar and Sagar constituencies, respectively — to resign.

He said the BJP will try to win the Shimoga byelection.

He criticised the Government for what he termed non-performance and alleged that neither the Congress nor the Janata Dal (S) is interested in ensuring that those guilty of land grabbing are punished.

`Know your rights'

Gram panchayats, he said, can ensure the decentralisation of power at the grass roots. He asked the new members to understand their rights and responsibilities and conduct the affairs of panchayats in a transparent manner.

He suggested that they give more attention to problems in the public distribution system, house and site allotment and road maintenance.

H.N. Ananth Kumar, MP and BJP General Secretary, said his party is committed to the principle of decentralisation of power.

Decentralisation

He said the BJP will seek more administrative and financial powers for gram panchayats. Gram panchayat members should make efforts to provide an efficient administration, he added.

He said the Shimoga Lok Sabha constituency is to witness a major electoral battle and his party has taken the challenge seriously.

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