Congress brings in the big guns to win elusive South Graduates’ constituency

Mysuru: Congress that has never won the South Graduate constituency, which is spread over four districts – Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Hassan, and Mandya, is hopeful of winning the election for the first time.
The party is going all out in its efforts to win the polls scheduled on June 13. BJP has won four times including a bye-election and JD(S) twice in the last five elections since 1992, when the constituency was formed. Congress leaders are claiming advantage in this election citing infighting in the opposition camps.
Sitting member KT Srikantegowda from JD(S) is not contesting as the party has fielded HK Ramu, former president of the Karnataka Government Employees’ Union. Srikantegowda had won the election in 2004 too. BJP’s G Madhusudhana was a three-time member of the constituency and had won in 2010 and 1998 and a by-election, in 1997.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) working president R Dhruvarnarayan, a former MP, said this time Congress is sure to register a victory. “We are serious about winning here. Madhu Madegowda was announced our party’s candidate six months in advance and he has been working for over a year in the constituency,” he said.
“The entire party is involved and opposition leader Siddaramaiah, KPCC chief DK Shivakumar, MLAs and former MLAs are actively campaigning for the candidate by meeting voters at the village level. Secondly, the BJP government’s failure and recent textbook controversy are an added advantage to Congress,” Dhruvanarayan said.
Aspiring BJP candidates and former member G Madhusudhana are not supporting BJP’s MV Ravishankar, he claimed.
JD(S) MLC Marithibbe Gowda, is also supporting Congress candidature as his associate and long-time party worker Keelara Jayaram was not given an opportunity to contest, Dhruvaranayana said. City Congress president R Murthy said Congress candidate Madhu is an educationist and has an institute in Mandya. “He is a well-known personality and the BJP government’s failure will help Congress romp to victory in the graduates’ constituency. There are 29-assembly segments in this four-district graduate constituency. Party workers and leaders are working hard to ensure Madhu wins,” he said.
BJP leader and former MLC G Madhusudhana BJP has won four out of the six elections here and quipped he cannot predict result this time.