Madhu Bangarappa was on Wednesday appointed as the working chairman of Congress OBC wing. Being an Ediga, he is expected to bring in the community votes to the party which play a crucial role in four parliamentary and 70 Assembly seats. Congress sources termed Madhu’s appointment, who is already in the manifesto committee, as significant.
Madhu said, “I will tour the state and strengthen the party.’’ Madhu is expected to restore to Congress what his father and former CM Bangarappa took away when he quit Congress. “No one acknowledges it, but Bangarappa lifted BJP from under 40 seats to 75-80 by giving them victories in Shivamogga, Uttara Kannada and Dakshina Kannada regions,” a political analyst said. Congress’ thrust on Edigas is not new. Eyeing the votebank, the party chose BK Hariprasad as the opposition leader in the Council a few months ago.