In Kollegal Reserved Assembly segment in Chamarajanagar district, A.R. Krishnamurthy, former MLA, who had lost the 2004 polls from Santhemarahalli constituency by one vote, is facing a challenge from BSP’s N. Mahesh and BJP’s G.N. Nanjundaswamy.
Mr. Krishnamurthy, who was with the JD(S) when he lost the 2004 polls to Congress candidate R. Dhruvanarayan, is now contesting the elections from the Congress. After quitting the JD(S), he was with the BJP till he joined the Congress recently.
He managed to secure the Congress ticket at the cost of S. Jayanna, MLA, who the party claims has been placated. Mr. Mahesh, who is also BSP’s State president, has emerged as a serious contender after bagging the runner’s up position in 2013.
BSP’s alliance with JD(S)
The BSP is also banking on its alliance with JD(S) to bear fruit here, where Dalits play a dominant role. Other castes like Lingayats, Upparas and Kurubas are also in sizable numbers here.
BJP’s Nanjundaswamy, a former MLA, who had won the seat during the 2009 bypolls, hopes to capitalise on the recent visit of Prime Minister Modi to Santhemarahalli. While the ensuing contest is between the three candidates who had lost the elections from the constituency during 2013 polls, ironically, Mr. Krishnamurthy is contesting from the party that had vanquished him by one vote in 2004.
As a JD(S) candidate then, Mr. Krishnamurthy, who is also the son of late Dalit leader and former Governor of Kerala B. Rachaiah, polled 40,751 votes against then Congress candidate R. Dhruvanarayan’s 40,752 in 2004. During the delimitation exercise prior to the 2008 Assembly elections, Santhemarahalli segment – from where Mr. Krishnamurthy lost by one vote – was merged into parts of adjoining Kollegal and Chamarajanagar constituencies.