SHIMOGA: With the induction of K.S. Eshwarappa and D.H. Shankaramurthy in the council of Ministers, Shimoga district has secured a lion's share in the Bharatiya Janata Party-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition Ministry.

The district is back in political limelight with the inclusion of the three BJP leaders in the Ministry. The other two occasions when the district came into sharp political focus were during the chief ministership of S. Bangarappa and the late J.H. Patel, both hailing from Shimoga district.

With the inclusion of Mr. Eshwarappa and Mr. Shankaramurthy, the number of the Ministers in the coalition Government from the district has risen to three. Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa is also from the district.

All the three have served the party in several capacities and their induction into the ministry is on expected lines.

Expectations

The presence of the trio in the Ministry has raised the expectations of people in Shimoga district, which was reportedly neglected with a number of development projects either wound up or shifted elsewhere in the absence of effective political leadership.

Meteoric rise

Mr. Eshwarappa's meteoric rise in politics is attributed to his friendly and affable nature. A commerce graduate from a local college, Mr. Eshwarappa shaped himself as a youth leader with his active involvement in the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishat. He successfully contested the Assembly elections from Shimoga constituency in 1989. He was elected to the Assembly again in 1994, but was defeated in the 1999 election. He entered the Assembly for the third time in the 2004 general elections.

He spearheaded several local issues such as establishment of Government Women's Residential Polytechnic and the augmented drinking water supply scheme taking them to a logical conclusion.

His followers were so confident of his getting the ministerial berth that they put up huge hoardings and cut-outs at vantage positions here much ahead of the swearing in ceremony hailing him as the future minister.

Considered approach

Mr. Shankaramurthy is known for considered approach to several issues. Having served as Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council, he has been representing the Teachers' North West Constituency in the Legislative Council from 1988 without a break.

Hailing from a popular business family of Shimoga, he did his graduation from Central College in Bangalore after completing his secondary education in Shimoga.

As a Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh activist, Mr. Shankarmurthy entered politics in 1966 by joining the Jan Sangh.

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