The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Mahima Patel to launch party

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 07, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Mahima Patel to launch party

S. Rajendran

Suvarna Yuga will become a reality at Talacauvery on November 14

Mahima Patel

Bangalore: Mahima Patel, MLA, is all set to float a new political party, Suvarna Yuga, on November 14. The party will be launched at Talacauvery in Kodagu where the river Cauvery originates.

Mr. Patel, who walked out of the JD(S) in a huff in the first week of October, is still technically a JD(S) MLA. After announcing that he was leaving the party, he said he would not be joining any other political party or returning to the JD(S). Instead he would float a new party in tune with the ideals of his father, the late J.H. Patel, former Chief Minister. Over the past month, he has been preparing for a quick launch of his party, given the nature of political developments in the State and the likelihood of snap elections.

He quit the JD(S) after the party refused to hand over power to the Bharatiya Janata Party. Mr. Patel has not reconsidered his decision although the JD(S) has revived its alliance with the BJP and has extended support to that party to enable B.S. Yeddyurappa to become Chief Minister. Mr. Patel also said a firm “no” to requests from various quarters to make the trip to New Delhi to exhibit the strength in terms of numbers of the JD(S)-BJP combine before President Pratibha Patil.

Being a first-time legislator elected from Channagiri constituency in Davangere district, Mr. Patel has always been considered as a person who eschews the conventional line of thinking. Soon after H.D. Kumaraswamy formed a coalition government with the support of the BJP, Mr. Patel protested by observing “mauna vratha” for a month at Kudalasangama when he was not made a Minister in the second round of Cabinet expansion. He had been promised a Cabinet berth by the JD(S) leadership.

Coveted post

Afterwards he returned to the mainstream of the party and was given the coveted position of parliamentary secretary and Special Representative of Karnataka in New Delhi, which he held until recently.

Mr. Patel told The Hindu here on Tuesday that the Suvarna Yuga would be different from other political parties. It would be a party with a vision to usher in a “golden age” in the State. “We have a vision and, to achieve that, a political party is being launched. People have to contribute to ensure that the party is a success, and they should not join the party to create wealth for themselves.”

Confident

On whether his legislator colleagues from the JD(S) and other political parties would be joining the new party, he said, “I don’t think they will join now since they will have their reservations about a new political outfit. But when the Suvarna Yuga gets going, I am confident people will flock to my party. The party will field young candidates in all the 224 Assembly and 28 Lok Sabha constituencies in the next elections. We will win over the electorate with our commitment and definitely not through a vulgar display of wealth in electioneering, which is the order of the day.”

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