Will memories of Nagappa swing votes in Hanur?

This Assembly election will be the third to be held since big-time elephant poacher, sandalwood thief, and forest brigand Veerappan was killed in October 2004. But, the memories his name evokes may still sway the vote.

Pritan Nagappa, the son of the former Minister H. Nagappa who was kidnapped and killed by Veerappan in 2002, is the BJP candidate from Hanur in Chamarajanagar district.

He believes that public sympathy for his father can still work in his favour.

“I’m still being identified as Nagappa’s son. Even 16 years after his death in Veerappan’s custody, people have sympathy for my father and look up to him as one who died for the people’s cause,” said Mr. Pritan Nagappa.

According to the doctor-turned-politician, people still remember his father’s work in the constituency and how he fought to free the villages of the terror wielded by Veerappan, and paid for it.

Nagappa, a Minister in the erstwhile Janata Dal government led by J.H. Patel, was kidnapped from his home at Kamagere in Hanur in August 2002 by Veerappan. Nagappa, who was held hostage by the brigand for 106 days, was found dead in the Chengadi forest of Chamarajanagar in December 2002.

Fight for ticket

In the run-up to the May 12 elections, Hanur constituency has been the cynosure of all eyes because of the bitter fight between the former Minister V. Somanna and Nagappa’s family for BJP ticket.

The Nagappa family, which has been fighting for supremacy over Hanur since 1967, had the last laugh when the party decided to field Mr. Pritan Nagappa. Mr. Somanna had to be content with Govindarajnagar in Bengaluru.

The pilgrimage area around the Male Mahadeshwara hills still evokes memories of the brigand who roamed, ruled and plundered the adjoining forests of sandalwood and killed elephants for ivory. The region comes under the Hanur constituency.

Back until he was killed, Veerappan factor always loomed over Hanur’s politics. That the brigand actively ‘campaigned’ for certain candidates was common knowledge in the backward and hilly villages. The then JD(S) MLA, Parimala — mother of Mr. Pritan Nagappa — corroborated this in September 2005, in her deposition before the R.G. Vaidyanathan Commission of Inquiry.

Not only local residents, even officials on election duty spent sleepless days and nights during the polls, dreading an attack by Veerappan. Conducting elections in Hanur was a big challenge to them.

No one had ever imagined that Veerappan, who had eluded many police dragnets, would be captured or killed. Until the Tamil Nadu Special Task Force led by K. Vijay Kumar eliminated him and two of his associates on October 18, 2004.

That brings us to the question: will his victim, Nagappa, now hold sway over Hanur’s political fate?