Daijiworld Media Network - Puttur (RD/CN)

Puttur, Nov 27: Urimajal Rama Bhat, former MLA, BJP veteran leader, and political mentor of MP D V Sadananda Gowda, will contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls under the banner of Swabhimani Vedike.

This was unanimously decided at the meeting of the Vedike, held on Tuesday, November 25. The Vedike had created a major breakthrough in state politics with the rebellion of Shakuntala Shetty in the last legislative polls. Rama Bhat’s decision to contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls is likely to affect the popularity of the BJP and Gowda in particular.

When Daijiworld contacted Rama Bhat, he expressed his willingness to contest the polls. He said, "I have not taken a final decision in this regard.  However, it seems that I will have to contest the polls for my ideology," he said.

Rama Bhat had contested as the BJP candidate in past Lok Sabha polls and was defeated. He is also the brother-in-law of RSS leader Dr Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat. The controversy about giving a ticket to Shakuntala Shetty during the last legislative assembly polls is well-known. Eventually, she had rebelled against her mentor Prabhakar Bhat and Gowda against his mentor Rama Bhat.

Shakuntala Shetty had contested the last legislative assembly polls with a ticket from Swabhimani Vedike, a party made up of local BJP rebels, and secured over 25,000 votes, creating history. Though Rama Bhat is still with the BJP, most of his supporters are being expelled and he had expressed the desire to contest in the polls against Gowda.