<p>At Ch’nagar, Congress and KJP have made the polls interesting in all four constituencies.<br /><br /></p>.<p> If Haveri is one district that has garnered the attention of political analysts for Karnataka Janata Party (KJP), in Chamarajanagar also, the party is hopeful of making an impact.<br />If one were to go by the trend in the four assembly segments in the district; Chamarajanagar, Gundlupet, Kollegal and Hanur, Congress has found a close contestant in KJP in all the seats here.<br /><br />C Puttarangashetty sitting Congress MLA of Chamarajanagar who emerged winner against the firebrand leader ‘Benki’ Mahadev, a BJP nominee in the previous polls, this time, finds a tough contender in K R Mallikarjunappa of KJP. <br /><br />A BJP leader Mallikarjunappa resigned to the Legislative Council and also to the party, only to test his mettle in the Assembly polls from KJP. A retired professor and having won the electons to the Legislative Council in the past from Mysore and Chamarajanagar dual seat, Mallikarjunappa seems to be confident of emerging victorious.<br /><br />Puttarangashetty is a ‘uppara’ and Mallikarjunappa a ‘lingayat’. BJP has fielded S Somanayaka and the JD(S) - S P Sannamada Shetty.<br /><br />There’s also Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha (KCVP) president and former MLA Vatal Nagaraj in the fray. Vatal who has represented the segment thrice had finished third in the previous polls. Also a lingayat, Vatal may prove a juggernaut for Mallikarjunappa for whom lingayats are the only saving grace.<br /><br />For the sitting MLA, the strong community backing and the votes of other communities, especially kurubas and dalits is said to work in his favour.<br /><br />Kollegal<br /><br />When the by-elections were conducted to the Assembly from Kollegal constituency three years ago, the then chief minister B S Yeddyurappa ensured that his party BJP made it through. Now, in the changed scenario, he has posed a stiff challenge to his former party by fielding a former MLA from KJP.<br /><br />Though Kollegal is SC reserve constituency, lingayat and dalits form majority of voters. Eyeing on the same, sitting BJP MLA G N Nanjunda Swamy is seeking re-election. While S Balaraj is the KJP candidate, Congress has fielded S Jayanna. The novice among them is N Chamaraju of JD (S).<br /><br />In the last five years, the Assembly segment has seen two legislators. During the elections held in 2008, R Dhruvanarayan of Congress had trounced film director S Mahendar of BJP. However, when Dhruvanarayan successfully contested the parliamentary elections from Chamarajanagar in the 2009, the seat fell vacant. In the by-elections G N Nanjunda Swamy tasted the victory against Jayanna. <br /><br />Jayanna had earlier won the polls as Janata Dal nominee in the year 1994. He later embraced Congress. Balaraj who had sprung a surprise by winning the polls as an Independent in the year 2004, had to lose in the subsequent polls.<br /><br />Votes of dalits and lingayats are the deciding factors here. Balaraj, a dalit is banking on the votes of his community as well as that of lingayats. <br /><br />Basavanna of Santhemaralli predicted that it could be a photo finish between Congress and KJP. Another voter, Maqsood Khan felt that BSP could be a dark horse. It’s candidate N Maheshhad finished third in 2008, garnering 25,462 votes. He has been the party’s candidate for past several elections garnering dalits votes in impressive manner.<br /><br />Hanur<br /><br />Hanur too is witness to family politics again with incumbent MLA R Narendra of Congress seeking re-election. Parimala Nagappa wife of late minister K Nagappa is the JD(S) nominee. BJP has fielded a green horn K Shivakumar and KJP Ponnachi Mahadevaswamy. Datteshkumar is the Congress rebel candidate. <br /><br />Earlier, Narendra’s father Rajugowda and Nagappa were the traditional rivals. Parimala though rode high on the sympathy wave following the death of her husband at the hands of forest brigand Veerappan (winning the 2004 Assembly elections), she lost the following polls in 2008 to Narendra. Ponnachi Mahadevaswamy a one time aide of Nagappa is now the KJP nominee. A mining baron running four mines in partnership, he is banking on the 24,000 odd Tamilian votes.<br /><br />The votes of lingayats is sure to split with Parimala Nagappa and Ponnachi Mahadevaswamy, with both contenders belonging to the same community. The complaint against Parimala is “keeping people at bay when in power”. <br /><br />For Ponnachi, an active group of Third Force comprising lingayat leaders formed ahead of the elections has come as a boon. Though Narendra seems to be sitting pretty for having a good network of people and also the Congress wave, rebel candidate in the fray may prove an obstacle to an extent. <br /><br /></p>
<p>At Ch’nagar, Congress and KJP have made the polls interesting in all four constituencies.<br /><br /></p>.<p> If Haveri is one district that has garnered the attention of political analysts for Karnataka Janata Party (KJP), in Chamarajanagar also, the party is hopeful of making an impact.<br />If one were to go by the trend in the four assembly segments in the district; Chamarajanagar, Gundlupet, Kollegal and Hanur, Congress has found a close contestant in KJP in all the seats here.<br /><br />C Puttarangashetty sitting Congress MLA of Chamarajanagar who emerged winner against the firebrand leader ‘Benki’ Mahadev, a BJP nominee in the previous polls, this time, finds a tough contender in K R Mallikarjunappa of KJP. <br /><br />A BJP leader Mallikarjunappa resigned to the Legislative Council and also to the party, only to test his mettle in the Assembly polls from KJP. A retired professor and having won the electons to the Legislative Council in the past from Mysore and Chamarajanagar dual seat, Mallikarjunappa seems to be confident of emerging victorious.<br /><br />Puttarangashetty is a ‘uppara’ and Mallikarjunappa a ‘lingayat’. BJP has fielded S Somanayaka and the JD(S) - S P Sannamada Shetty.<br /><br />There’s also Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha (KCVP) president and former MLA Vatal Nagaraj in the fray. Vatal who has represented the segment thrice had finished third in the previous polls. Also a lingayat, Vatal may prove a juggernaut for Mallikarjunappa for whom lingayats are the only saving grace.<br /><br />For the sitting MLA, the strong community backing and the votes of other communities, especially kurubas and dalits is said to work in his favour.<br /><br />Kollegal<br /><br />When the by-elections were conducted to the Assembly from Kollegal constituency three years ago, the then chief minister B S Yeddyurappa ensured that his party BJP made it through. Now, in the changed scenario, he has posed a stiff challenge to his former party by fielding a former MLA from KJP.<br /><br />Though Kollegal is SC reserve constituency, lingayat and dalits form majority of voters. Eyeing on the same, sitting BJP MLA G N Nanjunda Swamy is seeking re-election. While S Balaraj is the KJP candidate, Congress has fielded S Jayanna. The novice among them is N Chamaraju of JD (S).<br /><br />In the last five years, the Assembly segment has seen two legislators. During the elections held in 2008, R Dhruvanarayan of Congress had trounced film director S Mahendar of BJP. However, when Dhruvanarayan successfully contested the parliamentary elections from Chamarajanagar in the 2009, the seat fell vacant. In the by-elections G N Nanjunda Swamy tasted the victory against Jayanna. <br /><br />Jayanna had earlier won the polls as Janata Dal nominee in the year 1994. He later embraced Congress. Balaraj who had sprung a surprise by winning the polls as an Independent in the year 2004, had to lose in the subsequent polls.<br /><br />Votes of dalits and lingayats are the deciding factors here. Balaraj, a dalit is banking on the votes of his community as well as that of lingayats. <br /><br />Basavanna of Santhemaralli predicted that it could be a photo finish between Congress and KJP. Another voter, Maqsood Khan felt that BSP could be a dark horse. It’s candidate N Maheshhad finished third in 2008, garnering 25,462 votes. He has been the party’s candidate for past several elections garnering dalits votes in impressive manner.<br /><br />Hanur<br /><br />Hanur too is witness to family politics again with incumbent MLA R Narendra of Congress seeking re-election. Parimala Nagappa wife of late minister K Nagappa is the JD(S) nominee. BJP has fielded a green horn K Shivakumar and KJP Ponnachi Mahadevaswamy. Datteshkumar is the Congress rebel candidate. <br /><br />Earlier, Narendra’s father Rajugowda and Nagappa were the traditional rivals. Parimala though rode high on the sympathy wave following the death of her husband at the hands of forest brigand Veerappan (winning the 2004 Assembly elections), she lost the following polls in 2008 to Narendra. Ponnachi Mahadevaswamy a one time aide of Nagappa is now the KJP nominee. A mining baron running four mines in partnership, he is banking on the 24,000 odd Tamilian votes.<br /><br />The votes of lingayats is sure to split with Parimala Nagappa and Ponnachi Mahadevaswamy, with both contenders belonging to the same community. The complaint against Parimala is “keeping people at bay when in power”. <br /><br />For Ponnachi, an active group of Third Force comprising lingayat leaders formed ahead of the elections has come as a boon. Though Narendra seems to be sitting pretty for having a good network of people and also the Congress wave, rebel candidate in the fray may prove an obstacle to an extent. <br /><br /></p>
