Yeddyurappa held the constituency for 40 years except from 1999–2004. During 2014–18, his elder son BY Raghavendra was the MLA for Shikaripura, when BSY moved to New Delhi as 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 in parties and the district.
A prosperous Western Ghats district, Shimoga has always been the political nerve center of Karnataka, having produced four chief ministers and dozens of other important personalities as well as public movements.
In the neighboring Shimoga City assembly constituency, KS Eshwarappa, another party old horse, has announced retirement from electoral politics like his one-time mentor Yediyurappa. Eshwarappa is the MLA from Shimoga since 1989. He was defeated twice (1999 and 2013), but contested every assembly election since 1989.
Unlike BSY, Eshwarappa failed to secure the BJP’s nomination for his son Kantesh from Shimoga city and the party fielded Channabasappa, a Lingayat.
In Pahari Sagar, 90-year-old Congress veteran Kagodu Thimmappa has also retired from electoral politics, paving the way for the younger generation. Thimmappa has contested 12 assembly elections since 1962 and was an MLA between 1972 and 2018.
Despite efforts to secure the party’s nomination for his daughter Dr Rajnandini Kagodu, the Congress ticket went to his nephew Belur Gopalakrishna, who switched from the BJP to the Congress in 2018.
In Soraba, late S Bangarappa’s son Kumar and Madhu are contesting on Congress and BJP tickets once again.
With the sunset of the giants, the 2023 assembly elections have lost their allure for the people of Shimoga district. Fixtures Kagodu Thimmappa, Yediyurappa and Eshwarappa have gone into the sunset, allowing the next generation to take over.
In Shikaripura, Vijayendra’s victory seems certain because of the weak candidate fielded by the Congress. Despite the opposition of the local Lingayat leader, the Congress has once again fielded Kuruba Goni Maltesh against him. In 2018, he lost to BSY by over 30,000 votes.
Congress ticket contender and Lingayat leader Nagaraj Gowda has attacked the state Congress leadership, alleging a “deal” between BSY and top party leaders in Bengaluru.
Speaking to News18, he said: “If the Congress had fielded me, I would have defeated Vijayendra. To ensure division of Lingayat votes, the Congress leadership in Bengaluru has entered into a secret pact with BSY. That’s why they have once again fielded Kuruba. Gowda is contesting as an independent candidate with the help of JDS.
BJP has fielded Lingayat Hindutva leader Channabasappa from Shimoga City. He had once threatened to behead Siddaramaiah, leading to a huge controversy. The Congress has fielded a young Lingayat, HC Yogeesh, in the hope of getting all the Muslim votes and a major share of the Lingayat votes.
Veteran BJP leader Ayanur Manjunath has resigned as MLC to contest as a BJP rebel on JDS ticket, making it a fight for Lingayats.
In Sagara, BJP MLA Hartalu Halappa is facing a re-emerging Congress in another election.
Meanwhile, in Tirthahalli, Congress’s old rival Kimmane Ratnakar and BJP’s Home Minister Araga Gyanendra are once again face to face.
In the dying industrial town of Bhadravati, Congress MLA BK Sangamesh is taking on Sharada Appaji Gowda, widow of his old JDS rival Appaji Gowda.
Strangely, Shimoga is the birthplace of socialism in Karnataka, the peasant movement in India, and a bastion of the RSS along with the Congress and the BJP.
RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabole is a resident of Hosabole village in Shimoga district. BJP’s stalwart general secretary-organisation BL Santosh was also posted as a full-time worker of the RSS in Shimoga for 14 years. JDS state president CM Ibrahim is a resident of Bhadravati.
Whoever wins or loses, Shimoga politics will never be the same without the old warriors who have bid adieu to the polls.
read all latest politics news Here