U R Sabhapathi joins JD(S)

Former MLA U R Sabhapathi was inducted into the JD(S) on Sunday. He was welcomed by handing over the JD(S) flag by JD(S) leader Madhu Bangarappa.

Speaking on the occasion, Madhu Bangarappa said that the JD (S) had fielded its candidate for the Udupi-Chikmagalur Lok Sabha constituency byelection to win it and not to help either the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or the Congress.

He said the the BJP had a list of scandals to its credit in the State, the Congress had several scams dogging it at the Centre. The people were looking for an alternative as they were fed up with both. “We are not fighting the election based on caste. The JD (S) was strong in Chikmagalur district,” he added.

“There was infighting in the BJP. Chief Minister DV Sadananda Gowda was fighting to save his position,”he added.

“I am confident that the JD(S) candidate S L Bhoje Gowda will win. Sabhapathi’s induction into the JD(s) will give us additional strength,” Bangarappa said.

Sabhapathi said he had joined the JD (S) as there was a political vacuum in the district. People were disappointed both with the BJP and the Congress. The state-level leaders will campaign for Gowda. “My supporters will join the JD(S) in the presence of former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy at a public meeting on March 7.

Sabhapathi was elected MLA from the Udupi Assembly constituency in 1994 on the Karnataka Congress Party (KCP) ticket. Later, the KCP merged with the Congress. He was re-elected from Udupi Assembly constituency in 1999 as a Congress candidate. He lost against BJP’s Raghupati Bhat in 2004.

JD(S) leaders Mahendra Kumar, Deviprasad Shetty, Ghulam Mohammed, Govindaraju, and Dillesh Shetty were present.