Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (MS)
Udupi, May 8: Former Congress minister Pramod Madhwaraj has bid goodbye to Congress and joined BJP. Discussions have begun regarding his future in politics and what position he will be offered in BJP.
From 1962, the family members of Pramod Madhwaraj have been active in politics. The family has so far contested 12 elections and won most of them.
In 1962, Malpe Madhwaraj got elected as MLA from Udupi legislative constituency. From 1967 Manorama Madhwaraj contested in six elections and won four times. Pramod won only once out of the four times he contested.
Manorama Madhwaraj was the minister for women and child development department from 1974 to 1983 and minister for food and civil supplies from 1989 to 1994. She was the president of the state tourism corporation in 1999 when S M Krishna was the chief minister.
Manorama Madhwaraj quit Congress and joined BJP and contested the Lok Sabha election and became an MP for the period of 2004 to 2008.
Pramod Madhwaraj, who won the 2013 legislative assembly elections, was the minister for youth services, sports and fisheries. Earlier, he was the political secretary of cabinet rank to the chief minister.
Pramod Madhwaraj held various posts in Congress. He was the office bearer in NSUI, organizing secretary of state youth Congress and later block Congress president of Udupi. He contested as a consensus candidate of Congress and JD (S) under the latter party's election symbol.
Right now, many leaders are changing parties with an eye on the coming state assembly elections. The news of Pramod joining BJP was doing the rounds for quite some time. However, Pramod had neither denied nor clarified his stand.
On Friday, MLA Raghupati Bhat had stated that he did not have any objection to Pramod joining BJP. On Saturday, Pramod joined the BJP officially. Will he be given the BJP ticket in coming assembly elections from Udupi?
In the district of Udupi, all the five constituencies are represented by BJP MLAs. People are curious to know from which constituency BJP will offer him a party ticket, in case they wish to offer him the same. The names of two or three constituencies are being heard. Otherwise, he might be given a Lok Sabha ticket. If none of these options exist, then as a last option he might be made an MLC or Rajya Sabha member.
Only time will tell what is in store for the political career of Pramod Madhwaraj.