MANGALORE: Having advocated solutions to many problems as a journalist, 29yearold Devappa Haidangoor is all set to walk the talk.
No sooner the panchayat elections were announced, Devappa quit working as a journalist to take a plunge into politics. Contesting on a Congress ticket for Sullia taluk panchayat from Nellur Kemraje constituency, he has already hit the roads. This reserved constituency (SC) covering Markanja, Ubaradka and Nellur Kemraje has more than 7,000 voters.
Devappa Haidangoor one among the nine siblings of late Kujumba, dropped out of PUC due to poverty. His passion of writing prompted him to opt journalism. He began his career with a Kannada weekly Chethana and after two years, shifted to a locally prominent Kannada weekly 'Suddi Bidugade' in Sullia in 2004.
His desire to lead from the front ignited from his school days. Devappa recollects contesting on many occasions and also winning some elections. With a distant relative Bairappa successfully winning a panchayat election, politics was largely an unfamiliar terrain.
Besides writing, he is equally good in sports and was sought after for delivering commentary in Hindi for local cricket tournaments. Devappa though was active in BJP, had decided to contest on a Congress ticket. On eyebrows being raised over his decision, Devappa said BJP's image had taken a beating after BJP members in Markanja Grama Panchayat were accused of corruption.
He also recollected that residents of Markanja village had grabbed wide attention by staging a monthlong protest against corruption near taluk panchayat office in Sullia here recently. After the developments, Devappa said he was not too keen on contesting on a BJP ticket. ''If I win the elections, I will solve the problems and if I lose, my concern for poor will remain the same,'' he stressed.
Devappa hopes that the virtues will stand by him in his new role as a politician.