Bengaluru: Four sitting MLAs including senior BJP leader and former CM BS Yeddyurappa have announced retirement from electoral politics. New faces have been brought into the constituencies they used to represent. Here is the detailed information about the situation of those constituencies.
BS Yeddiyurappa (Shikaripura): Former Chief Minister BS Yeddiyurappa, a heavyweight, has announced his retirement from electoral politics. He was representing Shikaripura Constituency in Shivamogga district and has withdrawn from electoral politics due to his age.
He entered Legislative Assembly for the first time in 1983 from Shikaripura. In 1999, he lost against Mahalingappa of Shiralakoppa. Later, he went on to become the opposition leader, deputy chief minister, and chief minister and created history by contesting and winning continuously from the same constituency.
This time, he withdrew from contesting and allowed his son Vijayendra to contest for the first time. Goni Malatesh contested from Congress. Nagaraja Gowda, who contested as a Congress rebel candidate caused trouble for Malatesh. KS Eshwarappa (Shivamogga city): Another BJP veteran and former Deputy Chief Minister KS Eshwarappa has not been given a ticket by the BJP this time in Shivamogga city. He initially announced retirement from electoral politics even before the announcement of the ticket. Eshwarappa has won five times contesting since 1989, lost only in 1999 and 2013.
There were rumours that Eshwarappa's son or someone else in his family would be given the ticket instead of Eshwarappa. However, at the last moment, BJP announced a ticket to Channabasappa. On the other hand, Once a BJP ticket aspirant Ayanur Manjunath resigned from his Legislative Council seat and contested from JDS after he revolted HC Yogesh is contesting from Congress creating a stiff contest.
Haladi Srinivasa Shetty (Kundapura): Senior BJP leader from the coastal region Haladi Srinivasa Shetty has announced his retirement from electoral politics this time. He was an MLA who won five consecutive times from Kundapura Constituency and has left the contest due to his age. New face Kiran Kodgi is being fielded from the saffron party. Haladi after announcing his voluntary retirement campaigned on behalf of the official candidate. Dinesh Hegde Molahalli from Congress and Ramesh from JDS are contesting from Kundapura.
S.A. Ravindranath (Davangere North Constituency): S.A. Ravindranath sitting MLA of Davangere North Constituency announced not to contest the election. Therefore instead of him, Lokikere Nagaraj was given the ticket by BJP. Ravindranath was a five-time MLA who also served as minister. He stayed away from the elections due to illness. He has campaigned on behalf of the party's official candidate and extended his support. Lokikere Nagaraj is said to give tough competition to S.S. Mallikarjan of Congress who lost in previous elections.
