The Hindu : Karnataka News : Yet another triangular contest

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Karnataka

Karnataka

Yet another triangular contest

Correspondent

CHIKMAGALUR: Like most constituencies in the district, Chikmagalur Assembly segment will witness a triangular contest. Former MLA C.T. Ravi of the Bharatiya Janata Party is facing a stiff challenge from S.L. Bhoje Gowda of the Janata Dal (Secular) and K.B. Mallikarjuna of the Congress.

Chikmagalur district, which gave political rebirth to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, was once considered a fortress of the Congress party. The situation has changed as D.C. Srikantappa of the BJP has been elected three times consecutively to the Lok Sabha. Mr. Ravi, who is emerging as a leader in his party, is contesting the Assembly elections for the third time. He lost by a margin of 982 votes to former Minister C.R. Sageer Ahmed in 1999 but was elected by a comfortable margin of 24,873 votes in 2004. Mr. Bhoje Gowda is not a newcomer to politics in Chikmagalur. Having served as a president of the Chikmagalur City Municipal Council, he is the president of the Chikmagalur District Cooperative Central Bank Limited. He unsuccessfully contested the Assembly elections in 1999 as a rebel Janata Dal candidate. Being close associates of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, his father S.R. Lakshmaiah was elected for three terms and his brother, S.L. Dharme Gowda, for one term from Birur constituency.

Mr. Mallikarjuna was formerly the chief whip in the Legislative council during the Janata Dal regime. He was elected to the Assembly from Birur constituency in 1999 as a Janata Dal (U) candidate. He is contesting from Chikmagalur segment for the first time. There are ten candidates in the fray.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka