Writer and Kannada activist Chandrashekar Patil (popularly known as Champa) expressed his desire to contest in the Assembly polls from the newly floated Janasamanyara Paksha party.
Making this announcement after participating in the event to formally launch the party at Kudalasangama on Monday, he said: “It is the prerogative of the leaders of the new party to offer me ticket and chose a constituency of their choice to field me in the election.”
Mr. Patil advocated the need to have more regional parties in the State. Before the 2013 polls Mr. Patil was briefly associated with Karnataka Janata Party, then headed by B.S. Yeddyurappa, who had broken away from the BJP. Though Mr. Patil had not contested polls, he had campaigned for Mr. Yeddyurappa.
Founder-president T.V. Satish said the focus of the party would be regional issues. He said the party has come into force only to remove political parties that are against the basic principle of 12th century social reformer Basaveshwara.Speaking after being named the new president, Ayappa Ramanna said Lingayat was a religion of humanity. He said that while the Congress has no clarity on the Lingayat religion, Mr. Yeddyurappa cannot be considered a leader of the Lingayat community. Mahadayi water sharing dispute would also to be an important plank of the party.
