Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (JD)

Udupi, Feb 2: With the assembly elections resulting in the formation of a stable state government last year, political parties have begun focusing on the upcoming elections to the Lok Sabha.

Both Congress and BJP have already begun the groundwork for 2024 elections scheduled to be held a few weeks away. But the question that is upper most in everyone’s minds is that of choice of candidates to fight the Udupi-Chikkamagaluru seat as there are a few old and new names who are frontrunners to get the ticket in both the parties.

Clockwise from top: Shobha Karandlaje, Raghupati Bhat, Pramod Madhwaraj, Kuilady Suresh Nayak, Sudhir Kumar Murolli, Dr Amshumath Gowda, Vinay Kumar Sorake and Jayaprakash Hegde

Currently, BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje is representing the constituency and has completed two consecutive terms. But, there have many changes in both the parties after the elections were held in 2019. Both the parties have given tickets to new faces in many of the assembly constituencies of Udupi and Chikkamagaluru districts who have gone on to win the elections.

While four assembly constituencies of Chikkamagaluru district were won by Congress, four assembly constituencies of Udupi district were taken by BJP. Based on the Assembly election results of 2023, the BJP has a slight edge in vote share in the Udupi – Chikkamagaluru parliamentary constituency.

With the election season kicking in, leaders are now on the ground working closely with the party cadres and many of the leaders from both the parties have openly expressed their eagerness to contest the upcoming elections. So, here is the daijiworld.com’s list of aspirants for the Udupi-Chikkamagaluru Lok Sabha constituency from both the BJP and the Congress.

Shobha Karandlaje

The two-time MP and a powerful minister in the earlier BJP government in the state and an incumbent minister at the Centre is a strong contender for the Udupi – Chikkamagaluru seat. Currently, she is in her second term and is representing the constituency. She has always been in the news for her political and aggressive comments on various issues. There are also rumours that the party is mulling over the possibility of giving her the party ticket to contest from one of the constituencies in Bengaluru. Currently she is serving as the Minister of state for agriculture and farmers welfare.

Jayaprakash Hegde

K Jayaprakash Hegde is a well-known name in the political and social arena of not only coastal region but also at the national level too. Hegde is known for his model politics. Currently, he is serving as the chairman of Karnataka Backward Class Commission and is a key figure as the government is expecting him to submit the “Caste census” report soon. Jayaprakash Hegde has represented Brahmavar Assembly constituency twice. He had also contested on a Congress ticket for the Udupi – Chikkamagaluru seat and ended up losing to Shobha Karandlaje of the BJP in 2014. Currently, Hegde is in the BJP. Even though he has not expressed his desire to contest the Lok Sabha elections in public, his name is making the rounds in the political arenas as one of the aspirants.

Pramod Madhwaraj

Hailing from a strong political family, the one-time MLA and minister Pramod Madhwaraj has publicly expressed his eagerness to contest from Udupi – Chikkamagaluru constituency on a BJP ticket. He has even begun the groundwork and is busy organising meetings and other activities with the party workers in various parts of the constituency.

Earlier, he was a minister in the Siddaramaiah-led government in the state and had served as minister for sports, youth affairs and fisheries. He had also contested for the Udupi – Chikkamagaluru seat on a Janata Dal (S) ticket in 2019 but as a common candidate for the JD(S) and the Congress which fought the elections together on a seat-sharing basis, which he lost. Later, he joined the BJP.

Sudhir Kumar Murolli

The firebrand speaker of the Congress party and the KPCC spokesperson Sudhir Kumar Murolli is another potential candidate for the Udupi – Chikkamagaluru constituency. He has been a Congress party loyalist for a long time and has involved himself actively in the party activities. Blessed with oratorical skills, Sudhir is a well-known public speaker at Congress rallies and protest meets. He has also expanded his base to Udupi through his Malenadu – Karavali people’s forum.

Vinay Kumar Sorake

Vinay Kumar Sorake is a former MLA and minister and also a MP from the Udupi constituency. He is another strong contender to take on the BJP from the Congress in the Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituency. Sorake has been an active member of the Congress party for more than four decades. Recently, he had also contested in the assembly elections but had lost. Sorake is considered to be a strong leader in the Congress party.

Raghupati Bhat

The three-time BJP MLA of Udupi assembly constituency Raghupati Bhat is regarded as an undefeated leader of the BJP. He was denied the party ticket to contest for the 2023 assembly elections. Bhat is also one among the strong contenders for the Udupi – Chikkamagaluru parliamentary seat.

Raghupati Bhat has a strong following and has built a solid base in the constituency. The development works carried out by him during his three tenures have been remarkable in the development of Udupi. He is considered an influential statesman with deep knowledge of the governmental procedures besides being close to the electorate and the local community.

Dr Amshumath Gowda

The present Chikkamagaluru district Congress president Dr Amshumath Gowda is also a strong contender to get the party ticket to contest the Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituency. He is currently engaged in laying a strong foundation for the party and is busy preparing himself for the big battle. Amshumath has been an active Congress worker from his early years. He has worked in the Youth Congress and has handled other responsibilities as well. Notably, Dr Amshumath Gowda was instrumental in ensuring the stupendous victory of the party’s candidates in the recent Assembly elections. His leadership skills helped in decimating the BJP from Chikkamagaluru district as the Congress won all the five seats there.

Kuilady Suresh Nayak

The ex-president of Udupi district unit of the BJP, Kuilady Suresh Nayak has thrown his hat into the ring and has declared himself publicly as one of the candidates to fight the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituency. He has handled various responsibilities in various capacities from booth level to that of the district president. He was instrumental in ensuring the party’s grand victory in Udupi during the Assembly elections where the BJP won all the five seats. He has a good rapport with the party workers at the ground level.

It is now high time for both the parties and the voters to keep track on who will be contesting the elections from the BJP and the Congress. Even though speculations will continue till the last minute when party tickets are made official, some major changes can be expected in the choice of candidates for Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituency soon. New names are likely to emerge during the coming days as candidates queue up to enter the electoral race.