Either give me vote or poison, can't afford to lose 3rd time, says BJP candidate
A Lingayat leader of the constituency says Mr Naik has been his own worst enemy.
Deodurga: As appeals for votes go, the one made by BJP candidate from Deodurga. Shivangouda Naik, is dramatic, to say the least. While emphasising how crucial this assembly by-election is for him, Mr Naik asks voters to either give him their vote or a bottle of poison, “as I have lost two elections already and cannot bear to lose again.”
Mr Naik lost in the 2013 Assembly elections from Deodurga and in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Raichur. While agreeing that the coming election is crucial for him in the face of these defeats, his critics believe he is trying to win sympathy by his dramatic statement. “ Mr Naik may be young in politics, but he is very shrewd.,” they contend.
A Lingayat leader of the constituency says Mr Naik has been his own worst enemy. "He switched to the infamous Reddy camp during the BJP rule in the state and behaved like a dictator in the constiutency. He not only fleeced the officers, but was impudent and boorish with them. As a result government employees joined hands with the major Lingayat community and decided to teach him a lesson for harassing them and this was largely responsible for his defeat in the previous Lok Sabha election. Although the dislike may have waned, the worry is still there,” he adds.
Political observers say Mr Naik could put up a good show if former Chief Minister, B S Yeddyurappa, campaigns for him. But the senior leader is said to be still upset with him for publicly taking him on while he was in the Reddy camp.