Udupi: Lok Sabha Bypoll – Will Congress Snatch the Initiative?
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (SP)
Udupi, Feb 18: Bypoll for Udupi-Chikmagalur Lok Sabha constituency is only a month away. As winning from here has become a prestige issue for the BJP and former MP-turned-chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda, it is expected that BJP will try its best to repeat its earlier performances.
It may be recalled that BJP candidates Manorama Madhwaraj and D V Sadananda Gowda had come out victorious from this constituency in 2004 and 2009 respectively. However, margin of victory in 2009 had shrunk to just 27,018 because of the rising popularity of Congress candidate, K Jayaprakash Hegde. During that election, BJP could not find an able candidate locally, and had to import and field D V Sadananda Gowda from Mangalore.
The announcement about holding election for this Lok Sabha constituency on March 18 has given rise to speculations, as no one is sure about the respective standing of the parties now, because of some strange developments, which took place recently. While BJP, which is again faced with the dearth of a widely accepted leader, is likely to settle down for the candidature of Sunil Kumar, former MLA from Karkala, Congress camp is buoyant about the chances of its likely candidate K Jayaprakash Hegde, taking heart from his impressive performance in the last election.
After the sudden resignation of D V Sadananda Gowda from his Lok Sabha membership, the constituency has seen many awkward developments. Controversy over permission granted for a rave party in St Mary’s Island, departure of three ministers relating to watching of porn video clips on mobile phones when assembly was in session, and death of leader of high stature from here, Dr V S Acharya, have delivered big blows to BJP, and caused erosion of its image. While some feel that sympathy wave relating to the death of Dr Acharya might prove beneficial for the BJP, there are many who do not feel so.
It is almost sure that the winning candidate will be either from BJP or Congress. Although JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy has announced that his party will field a candidate this time, what effect this move will have on the final outcome remains a mystery. Both the parties have held consultations at the grass root level and held meetings of leaders and activists to elicit their opinions. While BJP has said it will reveal the name of its candidate in a couple of days, district Congress president Gopal Poojary said that his party will make this announcement at Bangalore on February 22.
Although former MP Vinay Kumar Sorake, former Chikmagalur MP D K Taradevi, and former MLA B L Shankar are in the race, it is learnt that Jayaprakash Hegde has received overwhelming support in most of the meetings. Hegde continues to have good rapport with the party activists and voters alike even after his defeat last time, and this is working in his favour, it is analyzed. The confidence of Congress has swelled this time because of Hegde’s popularity particularly in Chikmagalur belt.
In the JD(S), its district president Deviprasad Shetty is the only person having widespread popularity in the district with a chance of giving some semblance of fight to the other candidates. JD(S) has kept its move under wraps, and while its chances of winning the election are almost zero, presence of its candidate can eat into the chances of other candidates, based on who will be fielded.
There is no doubt that BJP will take on this by-election with all its might, as the party is in need to retain the constituency, because of the fact that it was held earlier by the CM. At the same time, Congress smells a good chance of wresting this seat, because of the dented image of BJP. The image of Congress too has received a beating on account of scams and scandals at the centre. However, one feels that Congress leaders can improve the chances of their party, if they stop infighting, blabber and lethargy, and work at the grass-root level instead of delivering speeches, to motivate the activists to take up the initiative and work hard for the party candidate.