Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (HB)

Udupi, Dec 18: Former MLA U R Sabhapati on Friday December 18 hit out at former MP and independent candidate for MLC polls Jayaprakash Hegde and said that he had become an 'opportunist' and a 'greedy' person.

Addressing a press meet here, Sabhapati said, "Jayaprakash Hegde has been member of the Legislative Assembly and the Lok Sabha. Being a strong leader, he should not have created misunderstanding and confusion within the party."

Defending Congress MLC candidate Pratapchandra Shetty, he said, "Pratapchandra has no thirst for power. He agreed to contest only after party workers demanded it.

"Hegde pressurized Oscar to allow him to join Congress. The party welcomed him and gave him a chance to contest in the elections. It could be that Hegde has a personal grudge agaist Pratapchandra Shetty and hence he decided to contest the MLC polls as an independent candidate against him. Nevertheless, the Congress party is strong and not dependent on any individual," he opined.

"J P Hegde has become an opportunist now. The district Congress leaders and even chief minister Siddaramaiah had tried to convince him to withdraw his nomination, but he did not relent. He did not respond to their request. I am surprised to see the change in J P Hegde from a simple person to a greedy man," he said.

Sabhapati wondered aloud how Hegde would win the MLC polls. "I do not know the calculation going on in his mind. He has good opportunity to grow in politics, but he lost it after getting expelled from Congress.

"Party members should wait their turn in Congress and not be hasty. One day everyone will get a chance to contest in the elections," he added.

"There are 3,465 members in 230 villages of Dakshina Kannada district and 2,477 members in 158 villages of Udupi district. The Congress party candidate may be able to get more than half the votes out of a total of 5,942," he predicted.

Sabhapati also recalled the time when Jayaprakash Hegde contested in the Lok Sabha elections and Vinay Kumar Sorake lost his chance to contest. "However, Sorake did not lose hope. Eight years later Sorake won the elections from Kaup constituency and became urban development and district incharge minister. If Sorake could wait patiently, why can't Hegde also do the same?" he said.

Recalling his own experience, Sabhapati said that he had also contested in the elections as an independent candidate against the Congress, but was defeated. "I had believed that Congress could not survive without me, but I was proved wrong," he said.

Gopal Krishna, Prithviraj Shetty, Harish Shetty and others were present at the press meet.