The Hindu : Karnataka News : Calculations that went awry

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Wednesday, Apr 23, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Calculations that went awry

Staff Correspondent

Revanasiddaiah and Bharani, initially, wanted to contest on Congress ticket

Revanasiddaiah will contest from Varuna on the BJP ticket
Subhash Bharani has been fielded in T. Narsipur constituency

MYSORE: In an unexpected turn of events, two retired police officers of the State who aspired for the Congress ticket will be fighting the elections in Mysore district on the BJP ticket. The former Director-General of Police L. Revanasiddaiah and the former Additional Director-General of Police Subhash Bharani were keen to enter the electoral fray from different Assembly constituencies in Mysore district on the Congress ticket. But that did not happen. Circumstances and political compulsions forced them to join the BJP.

Mr. Revanasiddaiah, who had been with the Congress, sprang a surprise by joining the BJP. He is now that party’s nominee from the Varuna constituency in Mysore.

Mr. Bharani, who decided to retire weeks before the elections were announced in the State, initially announced that he was planning to contest the polls from his native T. Narsipur (Reserved) in Mysore district as a Congress candidate. And after it became clear that the Congress would not field him, the former IPS officer joined the BJP and secured the party’s ticket for T. Narispur.

Mr. Revanasiddaiah’s decision to join the BJP was unexpected. He was made special officer for implementation of the midday meal scheme when S.M. Krishna was Chief Minister. He had spurned offers from the Janata Dal (S) during the bypolls to the Chamundeshwari Assembly constituency in 2006. He was spotted with Mr. Krishna during the latter’s visit to Mysore on April 8, a day before his entry into the BJP was announced.

Congress leaders said Mr. Revanasiddaiah wished to contest the elections either from Varuna or Chamundeshwari, from where the former Deputy Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, too was planning to contest. Mr. Revanasiddaiah requested Mr. Krishna to urge Mr. Siddaramaiah to decide his constituency first so that he [Mr. Revanasiddaiah] could begin his campaign.

When Mr. Krishna reportedly told Mr. Revanasiddaiah to sort out the matter with Mr. Siddaramaiah himself, the retired police officer decided to join the BJP, which was only too eager to field him as its nominee.

Mr. Bharani sought voluntary retirement and made public his plan to contest from T. Narispur at a time when the former Minister H.C. Mahadevappa threatened to stay away from electoral politics in protest against what he said being sidelined by Congress leaders. But, Dr. Mahadevappa was persuaded by Congress leaders, particularly Mr. Siddaramaiah, to contest the elections. When it became almost certain that the Congress would field Dr. Mahadevappa, Mr. Bharani began looking beyond the Congress. The BJP, which was looking for a suitable candidate for T. Narsipur, gladly accepted him.

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