Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Feb 6: Twin-districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada promise to present a different election battle this time as new faces are expected to fight it out with the old ones to enter the legislative council. The fact that no one has a definite clue about the impact these new faces might make on the electorate has thrown new challenges to established parties and candidates.

From Karkala constituency, the name of Harsha Moily, son of veteran Congress leader and former chief minister, Dr M Veerappa Moily, has been coined as a probable candidate of Congress party. Some sources have claimed that Veerappa Moily, who had represented this constituency in the past for several years, has conveyed this information to his close ones settled in Karkala. While former Congress MLA and Moily's close associate, Gopal Bhandary, and Muniyal Uday Kumar Shetty, have been hoping to get the party's nod to enter the fray, Harsha's entry has promised to make the tussle interesting.

Anupama, Madan & Harsha

Political activities have become frenzied in this area as followers of leaders like Veerappa Moily, Gopal Bhandary and Uday Kumar Shetty have been holding protests against BJP MLA V Sunil Kumar for passing derogatory comments about their leaders. The district Congress president is said to have asked Shetty to take block Congress president into confidence before holding protests. In all likelihood, Congressmen will come together at the protest being organized by youth Congress on February 7 at Karkala.

At the same time, expected entry of former police personnel into the political field has kicked up some curiosity. Anupama Shenoy, who resigned as deputy superintendent of police of Kudlgi and formed her own new party, will be entering the fray from Kaup constituency besides fielding her candidates from other places. On the other hand, Madan, who resigned from the post of sub-inspector of Bajpe station here, is preparing to fight from Mangaluru South constituency.

While Anupama Shenoy, resident of Uchchila near Kaup, Udupi district, revolted against the alleged political interference in police department and resigned from her post, Madan, who holds MBA degree, and who functioned for seven years as sub-inspector, is known to be a people-friendly police officer with a leaning for social service. Madan plans to contest the election as an independent candidate. He has been actively involved with cleanliness drives, and has undertaken this work along with a group of young people in various places in the city so far. Several vehicles including auto rickshaws and buses in the city now can be found displaying the stickers, 'I support Madan'. Madan says that he wants to enter political field as he feels that there is a need to lay a strong foundation for building a good political system.