SHIVAMOGGA: The entry of former JDS MLA Madhu Bangarappa into the Congress is causing some political churn in all the three parties in the district - the Congress, BJP and the JDS. While his entry has been a boost for the Congress, it seems to have dented the JDS’ prospects.
Though there is no immediate impact on the BJP, the development may become a worry if the party fails to meet the demands of the Ediga community, which has traditionally aligned with the Congress.
With the new cabinet in the process of being formed, two sitting BJP MLAs - Haratalu Halappa of Sagar Assembly constituency and Kumar Bangarappa of Sorab constituency - belonging to the Ediga community, seem to be hopefuls for a cabinet berth.
A leader from the community said, “We supported S Bangarappa. After Bangarappa left the BJP, most of us continued to support the party due to Halappa and Belur Gopalakrishna. After Bangarappa’s demise, his elder son Kumar joined the BJP, while Madhu continued with the JDS. In the BS Yediyurappa government, senior leader KS Eshwarappa was given the RDPR portfolio. Now, our community is looking up to BJP leaders to give a cabinet berth to Kumar or Halappa.”
However, the Ediga community is divided, with Halappa and Kumar on one side and Gopalakrishna and Madhu on the other. The BJP may look to mobilise the support of the Edigas by giving a ministerial berth to either Halappa or Kumar.
The Congress, especially in Sorab constituency, stands to gain with Madhu’s entry as well as in regaining support of the Ediga community after a gap of more than a decade, as they had supported S Bangarappa when he was associated with the Congress in 2009-10, before joining the JDS. “Madhu’s entry is a gain for Congress. He had many supporters and friends in the district Congress. Now, the Sorab Congress has got a boost to put up a better show in the next Assembly elections,” said H S Sundaresh, president of Shivamogga district Congress.
The development is expected to impact the JDS more. In the 2013 elections, the party got three seats - Sorab was won by Madhu, Shivamogga Rural by Sharada Pooryanaik and Bhadravathi by late M J Appaji. But the partly lost all three in the 2018 elections. The death of M J Appaji and the exit of Madhu can affect its prospects in the district. The exit of former president of district JD(S) and senior cooperative man R M Manjunatha Gowda of Tirthahalli also accounted for the party losing its strength in the district.