Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (SP)
Udupi, Aug 4: As Udupi-Chikmagalur MP, D V Sadanand Gowda, has been chosen to succeed outgoing Chief Minister, B S Yeddyurappa by the BJP legislature party, he is bound by law to get elected as a legislator within six months of becoming the Chief Minister (CM). This will result in two by-elections, one to enable him to enter the state assembly, and the other to choose a person in his place to the Lok Sabha.
Yeddyurappa has announced that he will come back as the CM of the state within six months. In all likelihood, this will go the way his many earlier utterances have gone. Before he can come back, there is the huge task of completing investigation into charges contained in the Lokayukta report against him. If past experience is any indication, this will take much longer time. Hence, Gowda will be compelled to fight the election from an assembly constituency in the state and get elected as MLA or MLC. Udupi MLA, Raghupati Bhat, has already offered to resign to pave way for the election of DVS. It is too premature to make wild guesses as to whether Gowda will accept this offer. The other alternative before him is to choose to get elected to the legislative council.
It is being analyzed that Puttur will be a safe bet for DVS, as it is his home ground, and that he had got elected from there twice in succession in the past. Some party circles feel that as Gowda had become victorious in the Lok Sabha election, he enjoys the support of electorate spread over eight assembly constituencies. They say it would suffice if Gowda is elcted to the legislative council, as assembly election involves an elaborate procedure, and a BJP MLA will have to resign to make room for DVS.
Interesting debates are in progress in the main political parties, BJP and Congress, about the likely candidate for the next Lok Sabha by-election, once DVS puts in his papers. The first name that has come up from within BJP is that of state Yuva Morcha president and former MLA, V Sunil Kumar. Although his name had cropped in the previous Lok Sabha election too, he could not file nomination from this constituency, as BJP decided to field DVS from Udupi instead of Mangalore. The chances of Jayaprakash Hegde getting nominated from Congress party are bright, as he was defeated by a slender margin last time. Both Sunil and Hegde say that they will follow the diktats of the party in this respect.
It is being analyzed that Vinaya Kumar Sorake, who had got elected as Udupi MP once, may get the ticket only if the BJP fields a Bunt candidate. If Sunil Kumar, a Billava, is fielded by BJP, Congress is almost certain to field Jayaprakash Hegde, sources feel.