Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (JD)
Udupi, Mar 22: Its a third time face-off between BJP’s Kota Srinivas Poojary and Congress nominee Jayaprakash Hegde at the 2024 Lok Sabha general elections in the Udupi – Chikkamagaluru constituency.
Earlier both of them had fought for the MLA seats of the then Brahmavar constituency . Jayaprakash Hegde had won with a huge margin both the times.
Kota Srinivas Poojary and Jayaprash Hegde had a faceoff in 1999 and 2004 in the Brahmavar Vidhana Sabha constituency.
It is for the first time that Kota Srinivas Poojary is contesting for the MP seat whereas it will be the third time for Jayaprakash Hegde with his official candidacy in 2012 and 2014 earlier for the MP seat. In 2012 by-election JP Hegde had won the elections but he lost in 2014 against Shobha Karandlanje of BJP.
In 1999, Jayaprakash Hegde had contested elections independently and won with 32,429 votes, Sarala B Kanchan of Congress had bagged 27,666 votes and Kota Srinivas Poojary had settled for the third position with 24,043 votes.
In 2004, Jayaprakash Hedge won again by bagging 39,521 votes, the then Congress candidate Pramodh Madhwaraj had bagged 27,348 votes and Kota Srinivas Poojary had to settle for the third position again with 25,590 votes.
The large and widespread Udupi – Chikkamagaluru constituency consists of 8 assembly seats spread across two districts of Udupi and Chikakmagaluru namely Udupi, Kaup, Karkala, Kundapura in Udupi district and Chikkamagaluru, Mudigere, Sringeri, Tarikere in Chikkamagaluru district.
With the announcement of both the official candidatures by BJP and Congress now it's time for a third round of face-off between Jayaprakash Hegde and Kota Srinivas Poojary in the election battle field, this time for the MP seat.