CHANNAPATNA/RAMNAGAR: Jai and Veeru have returned to the hillocks of Ramdevra Bitta in Karnataka’s Ramnagar district, 43 years after Ramesh Sippy’s cult movie "Sholay" was shot here. At least for
BJP candidate CP Yogeshwar, who is contesting from the high-profile seat Channapatna in
Karnataka elections.
Yogeshwar, who had won here in 2013 on
Samajwadi Party (SP) ticket — the only win for the UP-based party in
Karnataka so far — is pitted against former Karnataka chief minister and
Janta Dal (Secular) candidate HD Kumaraswamy and Congress’s HD Revanna.
"These two men are like Jai and Veeru of Sholay," says Yogeshwar, a five-time MLA and former actor, who has also won from BJP and Congress, since his political debut 20 years ago.
'My life has been quite peaceful'
"Their sole objective is to defeat me. Revanna is already a Member of Legislative Council (MLC) with two years of tenure left. He doesn’t need this win. He is a proxy candidate of Congress minister DK Shivkumar, a Vokkaliga and Kumaraswamy, a Vokkaliga too. I am a Vokkaliga as well. By mutual admiration, they want to have control over Vokkaligas either way," says Yogeshwar.
With Prime minister Narendra Modi heaping praises on Janta Dal Secular- JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda, Congress has already alleged a tacit arrangement between BJP and JD (S). Like the movie, the poll plot has a more twists. A section of people of Channapatna and Ramnagar are euphoric about Congress’s signature schemes Indira Canteens, Anna Bhagya, Shira Bhagya.
Boramma, who famously played a five-year-old kid alongside Basanti played by now BJP MP Hema Malini, swears by Congress. "I have nothing to complain. My life has been quite peaceful. On the contrary, none of the actors or film industry people ever brought anything for us,"says Boramma.
There are of course those who insist that Ramnagar’s silk industry has never been given a big fillip by the Centre or frequent train access between Ramnagar and Bengaluru.
"As silk has no minimum support price, unlike most agricultural produce, our people, too, depend on seasonal demand in market. The Centre must at least introduce loans or bring industrial parks here. Besides, garment industry workers need a direct express train here," says Eeranna, who works as a night guard at vulture sanctuary and has his family members growing silk cocoons. Forty-three years ago, he would supply food to the ‘Sholay’ crew.
