A battle of ex-CMs' sons: Madhu Bangarappa is coalition's pick for Shivamogga
The bypoll has become necessary as Mr Yeddyurappa quit as Shivamogga MP after being elected to the state assembly in May.
Bengaluru: Things are getting interesting in Shivamogga with CM H D Kumaraswamy announcing on Monday that Mr Madhu Bangarappa would contest from Shivamogga in the November 3 Lok Sabha bypoll.
The late Chief Minister S Bangarappa’s son will take on B Y Raghavendra, son of state BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa, who is also a former CM. Mr Mahima Patil, who is yet another former Chief Minister, J H Patel's son has been fielded by the JD(U). The bypoll has become necessary as Mr Yeddyurappa quit as Shivamogga MP after being elected to the state assembly in May.
Speaking to reporters here on Monday, Mr Kumaraswamy said the decision to give Mandya, Ramanagara and Shivamogga to the JD(S) and Ballari and Jamakhandi to the Congress was taken at a meeting of both parties in the presence of JD(S) patriarch, H D Deve Gowda. “There was no discontent at this decision. There have been a few disgruntled voices, but they don’t reflect either party’s views. I know there are a lot of issues between workers of the coalition partners as they have fought each other for a long time. But the time has come now to work as a family to defeat the BJP” he said.
Explaining Mr Bangarappa’s choice for Shivamogga, Mr Kumaraswamy said had he not lost the Assembly elections, he would have been a minister by now and so the parliamentary bypoll had come as a second chance for him.
The Chief Minister contended that the coming bypolls would force the BJP to stop calling the coalition an “unholy alliance.” “The people will decide if the alliance is holy or unholy. I think by November 6 (when the counting is done) the BJP will have to stop saying this and give up its dream of forming the government by Diwali,” he added.
Mr Bangarappa said he was contesting the bypoll on being invited to by Mr Kumaraswamy and minister D K Shivakumar.
“I was offered an MLC seat after my defeat. But I did not want to gain entry into the legislature through the backdoor. I just wanted to go to the people and get elected and that's what I will be doing,” he said.