Its C’magalur v/s Udupi this time!
This parliament election Malnad fights for better representation
It was Chikmagalur district, which had once given new lease of life to Congress.
But what has Congress given back to the district? Has it ever taken a local leader to national level or has it given an opportunity to anyone to grow on their own? After the reorganisation of constituency, Udupi-Chikmagalur constituencies were merged to make one Parliament constituency. Unfortunately, Chikmagalur has not got the same representation like Udupi.
These are some of the feelings of some of the senior and second line of leaders in Congress party who have already brought these feelings to the notice of the senior Congress leaders and are now looking forward for the announcement of names for parliamentary election.
In 1978 the district did not just give a new profile to Indira Gandhi but it gave new life to Congress party as a whole.
When Indira had lost in her own constituency Rae Bareli, she was on a look out for a safe place from where she could contest during the re-elections. It was the then Congress MP D B Chandregowda who resigned to make way for Indira Gandhi.
The voters of Chikmagalur had made Indira victorious with a margin of 77,333 votes against Kannadiga and JNP leader Veerendra Patil. This is one episode that will never fade out from the pages of Congress’ history.
With the election being just couple of months away, activities have begun in all parties circles and in Chikmagalur, leaders are chalking out strategies to get better representation to Malnad over the coastal district.
Disparity
Central Minister M Veerappa Moily, AICC General Secretary Oscar Fernandes, AICC General Secretary B K Hariprasad, AICC Secretary Vinay Kumar Sorake, Uttaranchal Governor Margaret Alva, MLC Prathapchandra Shetty among many other leaders hail from coastal districts. Apart from Opposition Leader in Legislative Council Motamma and KPCC Vice-President B L Shankar, Chikmagalur district does not have any other name of talk about.
“Motamma’s term will get over in June. Chikmagalur was Congress fort since many decades. If Congress wants to retain its hold over Chikmagalur, it has to give better representation to the district,” say party sources.
They feel that if candidates from Chikmagalur are sidelined then there will be no one to raise voice for the rights of Coffee and areca growers.
The former MPs from the regions M Hucchegowda, K H Mallegowda, M D Narayana, U K Lakshmangowda, D B Chandregowda, B M Puttegowda, D K Taradevi, B L Shankar and others were planters. Sources in the party say that in 1996 one more planter became MP but none of them ever presented the problems of the planters effectively in the Parliament.
“There are lot of problems faced by Coffee growers in the district. In such a situation someone who knows the existing scenario very well should be elected to the Parliament,” says a source adding that four constituencies each from Udupi and Chikmagalur district form the Udupi-Chikmagalur Parliament constituency. Even though Chikmagalur has one lakh more votes than Udupi, the district has not got better representation at both Party and at the political level.
