Congress loyalists upset over ‘outsider’ getting prominence in Udupi-Chikkamagaluru Lok Sabha seat in Karnataka
The Hindu
Of the eight Assembly constituencies in the Udupi-Chikkamagaluru parliamentary segment, the Congress has MLAs in Chikkamagaluru, Sringeri, Tarikere and Mudigere. The remaining four – Kaup, Udupi, Karkala and Kundapura – all in Udupi district, are represented by BJP MLAs.
Many supporters of the Congress, who worked to help the party win all the five constituencies in Chikkamagaluru district in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections, are unhappy with K. Jayaprakash Hegde, an ‘outsider’, finding a place among the contenders for the party’s ticket for the Udupi-Chikkamagaluru Lok Sabha seat.
Jayaprakash Hegde, who worked as chairman of the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, has not yet joined the Congress. However, his name figures in the panel of names before the party’s screening committee. This has upset other ticket aspirants, and party workers in the district.
Mr. Hegde contested from the Udupi-Chikkamagaluru seat in 2009 on the Congress ticket and lost to D.V. Sadananda Gowda of the BJP. He got another chance in the 2012 by-election, necessitated by the resignation of Sadananda Gowda, and defeated V. Sunil Kumar of the BJP. In the 2014 general elections, he lost to Shobha Karandlaje. In 2019, the Congress-JD(S) coalition fielded Pramod Madhwaraj, but the former minister could not dislodge Shobha Karandlaje. Madhwaraj later joined the BJP.
The Congress expelled Mr. Hegde after he contested as an independent candidate against the party’s candidate Prathapchandra Shetty in the Council elections. Later, Mr. Hegde joined the BJP and became chairman of the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes.
Of the eight Assembly constituencies in the Udupi-Chikkamagaluru parliamentary segment, the Congress has MLAs in Chikkamagaluru, Sringeri, Tarikere and Mudigere. The remaining four – Kaup, Udupi, Karkala and Kundapura – all in Udupi district, are represented by BJP MLAs.
Kadur Assembly segment is in Chikkamagaluru district, but falls within Hassan Lok Sabha constituency.
The other aspirants for the Congress ticket are Dr. Anshumanth, president of the District Congress Committee, and Sudhir Kumar Murolli, the party’s spokesperson.
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