Karnataka   

Dissidence hits BJP in Koppal

KOPPAL: The Bharatiya Janata Party, which won two Assembly seats of the five in Koppal in the 2004 elections, is likely to lose its support base in the district this time owing to dissidence in the party.

Lack of leadership in the district unit of the BJP is another disadvantage to the party’s candidates in the district. In the 2004 Assembly elections, the party won the Kanakagiri and Kustagi seats. It finished second in the Koppal and Gangavathi segments, and third in the Yelburga segment. But this time, the may find it difficult to retain the Kustagi and Kanakagiri segments. The party has fielded its candidates in all the five Assembly segments in the district. But the party is facing “rebellion” in the Koppal and Kanakagiri segments. There seems to be lack of leaders in other three segments to lead the party’s campaign in favour of its candidates.

It has fielded Paranna Munavalli, president of the Karnataka State Rice Millers’ Association, for Gangavathi. Lalitha Rani, former president of the district unit of the Congress, who joined the BJP a few months ago, was a strong contender of the party ticket in the constituency. Ms. Rani, who joined the party with the hope of getting ticket, is likely to keep away from the election.

The party has denied ticket to H.G. Girigouda, who contested unsuccessfully in the 1999 and 2004 elections from Gangavathi. The seat went in favour of Srirangadevarayalu of the Congress in 1999 and Iqbal Ansari of the Janata Dal (Secular) in 2004. Mr. Girigouda, who hoped to enter the fray for third time, is unhappy over denial of ticket.

The party, which was weak in Koppal in the previous elections, has nominated the former district unit president Andanappa Agadi. Sangappa Vakkalad, district unit president, was a strong contender of the party ticket in the constituency. When the party denied him ticket, Mr. Vakkalad left it and is contesting as a candidate of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) from the same constituency.

Veerappa Kesaratti, who won from Kanakagiri in 2004 on BJP ticket, could not enter the fray this time owing to the change in the status of the constituency which has been reserved for the Scheduled Castes (SC). The party has fielded Shamanna Narihal. Shivaraj Tangadagi, who has a strong hold on the constituency, was a contender for the party ticket. Mr. Tangadagi is in the fray as a rebel.

The former MLA Doddangouda Patil of the BJP is seeking re-election from Kustagi. He defeated the former MLA K. Sharanappa of the Janata Dal (S) in 2004 by a margin of 10,000 votes. The Janata Dal (S) has again fielded Mr. Sharanppa and the former Minister Amaregoud Bayyapur of the Congress is also in the fray. Mr. Patil has to face a stiff challenge from the Congress and the JD (S) as the three are from the Veerashaiva community.

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