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The constituency was held by Yediyurappa for 40 years, except 1999-2004. During 2014-18, his elder son BY Raghavendra was Shikaripura MLA when BSY went to New Delhi as an MP from Shimoga. BSY has contested from Shikaripura in every election, nine times since 1983.
Shimoga, one of the political hotspots of Karnataka, is witnessing a generational change across parties and district.
A prosperous Western Ghats district, Shimoga has always been the political nerve centre of Karnataka, producing four chief ministers and dozens of other important figures as well as public movements.
In neighbouring Shimoga City assembly constituency, another party old horse KS Eshwarappa has declared retirement from electoral politics like his one-time benefactor Yediyurappa. Eshwarappa has been Shimoga MLA since 1989. He lost twice (1999 and 2013) but has contested in every assembly election since 1989.
Unlike BSY, Eshwarappa failed to secure a BJP nomination for his son Kantesh from Shimoga City and the party fielded a Lingayat, Channabasappa.
In hilly Sagara, Congress stalwart 90-year-old Kagodu Thimmappa has also retired from electoral politics, paving the way for younger generations. Thimmappa has fought 12 assembly elections since 1962 and was an MLA between 1972 and 2018.
Despite his efforts to secure the party’s nomination for his daughter Dr Rajanandini Kagodu, the Congress ticket has gone to his nephew Belur Gopalakrishna who defected from BJP to Congress in 2018.
In Soraba, sons of late S Bangarappa — Kumar and Madhu — are facing each other once again on Congress and BJP tickets.
With the sunset of stalwarts, the assembly elections of 2023 have lost their charm for the people of Shimoga district. The fixtures Kagodu Thimmappa, Yediyurappa and Eshwarappa have walked into the sunset, allowing the next generation to take over.
In Shikaripura, Vijayendra’s win looks a foregone conclusion because of a weak candidate fielded by the Congress. Despite the local Lingayat leader’s opposition, Congress has once again nominated a Kuruba, Goni Malatesh, against him. In 2018, he lost to BSY by over 30,000 votes.
Congress ticket aspirant and Lingayat leader Nagaraja Gouda has attacked the state Congress leadership, alleging a “deal” between BSY and the party brass in Bengaluru.
Speaking to News18, he said: “If the Congress had fielded me, I would have defeated Vijayendra. To ensure no division of Lingayat votes, Congress leadership in Bengaluru has clinched a secret deal with BSY. That’s why they have fielded a Kuruba once again.” Gouda is contesting as an Independent candidate with the help of JDS.
In Shimoga City, BJP has fielded Channabasappa, a Hindutva leader among the Lingayats. He had once threatened to chop off the head of Siddaramaiah, triggering a huge controversy. The Congress has fielded a young Lingayat, HC Yogish, hoping to get all Muslim votes and a big chunk of Lingayat votes.
Veteran BJP leader Ayanur Manjunath has quit as an MLC to contest as a BJP rebel on JDS ticket, making it a battle of Lingayats.
In Sagara, BJP’s MLA Haratalu Halappa is facing a resurgent Congress in yet another keenly contested election.
Meanwhile, in Thirthahalli, old rivals Kimmane Ratnakar of Congress and home minister Araga Jnanendra of BJP have been fighting once again.
In dying industrial town Bhadravathi, Congress MLA BK Sangamesh is taking on Sharada Appaji Gowda, the widow of his old rival Appaji Gowda of JDS.
Strangely, Shimoga is the birthplace of socialism in Karnataka, farmers’ movement in India, and a stronghold of Congress and BJP as well as RSS.
RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale hails from Hosabale village in Shimoga district. BJP’s powerful general secretary – organisation BL Santhosh was also posted as an RSS full-timer in Shimoga for 14 years. JDS state president CM Ibrahim hails from Bhadravathi.
Whoever might win or lose, Shimoga politics will never be the same without the old warhorses who have said goodbye to elections.
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