Karnataka   

Ambitions galore in Harpanahalli

DAVANGERE: With Harpanahalli having become a general constituency, prospective candidates are chalking out strategies to become the nominees of their respective parties.

Harpanahalli has, since 1952, been a Congress stronghold except for one election in which it suffered a defeat. There are many leaders from the region who are lobbying hard for ticket.

Congress leaders C. Chandrashekar Bhat, P. Raman Gowda and Chidanandappa are the prominent aspirants for party ticket.

Mr. Bhat, who has been in the party for 30 years, is a Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee member. He was general secretary of the District Congress Committee and also returning officer for the party organisational elections held in 1992. He served as party observer in Sindhanir and Vemgal Assembly constituencies.

Mr. Bhat is said to wield power in both Delhi and Bangalore and was in the race for the previous parliamentary elections from Bellary, but was unsuccessful.

Mr. Chidanandappa is also a senior party leader and a strong contender. Mr. Raman Gowda, member of the Davangere Zilla Panchayat, is also lobbying hard to get noticed. He has served as president of the taluk Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee.

Apart from the above three, there are a few other contenders too. The entry of the former Deputy Chief Minister M.P. Prakash into the Congress has created anxiety not only among aspirants, but the entire party in the region. Many leaders and workers had vehemently opposed his candidature for the polls recently, saying that local leaders who had worked hard to uplift the party should be given preference.

Mr. Raman Gowda told The Hindu that Mr. Prakash had opposed the Congress for 40 years and questioned the rationale behind giving him preference. “He should be given charge of Bellary instead, as the party is presently on a losing wicket there. There are many loyal party workers from the general category who should be given a chance to prove their mettle,” he said. Similarly, Basavalingappa, president of the taluk Janata Dal (S); A.G. Vishwanath, former president of the taluk Janata Dal (S); and Patil Parameshwara Gowda, senior party leader, are among many Janata Dal (Secular) leaders seeking party ticket.

The Bharatiya Janata Party is struggling to gain ground in Harpanahalli. There are many aspirants such as Nanjana Gowda, president of the taluk BJP; Arundi Nagaraj, former president of the taluk BJP; and Mahabaleshwara Gowda, former zilla panchayat member.

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