He was a sprightly youth of 27 when he first entered the state assembly in 1994. Vying for a
sixth term, S
Angara of BJP, now 52, is among names that figured in the first list cleared by the central election committee of his party. Incidentally, the lone
BJP MLA from Dakshina Kannada district in the elections to the state assembly in 2013, Angara is all set to square off against Dr B Raghu whom the Congress is all set to field against him for the third time.
How did you overcome the
anti-incumbency wave against BJP in 2013?
Sullia has always thrived on being cadre-based and purpose-based, and not a person-centric unit. For us, ideology and purpose is more important than being in power. Our organizational set-up is well oiled to bring BJP the desired results. The rank and file of the party will rally around my candidature to help the party realize its vision of forming a government in Karnataka.
Party president Amit Shah held the first Navashakti conventions for Karnataka at Sullia. Your take?
This was a recognition of the work done by the party cadre in Sullia assembly constituency. It was reaffirmation of the organizational set up that has worked well for the party, with booth-level workers being kept in focus. We have a solid set up in all 228 booths.
Shah has put booths at the centre of his electoral battle plans. Will it succeed?
Shah stressed on booth workers at Kulkunda during the convention, and elsewhere at similar conventions. His idea is that if each booth committee delivers the booth to the party, then the constituency is won, and with each constituency that the party wins, it wins the assembly.
Barring one term of the BJP government, you have always been in the opposition. Has it hit development of your constituency?
I have seen five different non-BJP chief ministers starting from S M Krishna. Barring major development funds that my constituency received when B S Yeddyurappa was in power, Sullia has not received much by way of development grants. However, I have focused on streamlining grassroots development works rather than taking up major projects, and this has reaped rich dividends in areas such as power or roads. Yet much needs to be done on this front, and I will continue to work towards that.
Have you flagged this perceived discrimination before the government?
I have fought for development needs of Sullia in the assembly, and managed to get as much grants as the government was possibly willing to give. However, one cannot expect much from a state government that has repeatedly ensured that Congress MLCs got development grants in constituencies represented by BJP MLAs. District minister B Ramanath Rai too has played petty partisan politics in ensuring forest clearance for the 110 kV line from Puttur to Sullia.
