SHIMOGA: The two MLAs from Shimoga district — Beluru Gopalakrishna for Sagar and Hartalu Halapp for Hosnagar — are in a piquant position.

They were elected to the Legislative Assembly in the 2004 general elections on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket.

Now, they are in a quandary because they have to fall in line with the party whip in the vote of confidence motion to be moved by the Janata Dal (Secular)-BJP coalition on Wednesday.

Although they are technically with the BJP, they are associated with the Samajwadi Party, headed by Shimoga MP S. Bangarappa in the State.

Mr. Gopalakrishna and Mr. Halappa, who are confidants of Mr. Bangarappa, campaigned for him in the Lok Sabha byelection.

The reason for the BJP leaders not taking any action was prompted by the fact that the two MLAs would have continued in office as it would not result in their disqualification. But time has now come for them to show their real "allegiance" to the BJP although unwillingly by voting in favour of the confidence motion to be moved by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy in the Legislative Assembly tomorrow.

It is learnt that Mr. Bangarappa has asked them to obey the BJP's whip.

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