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Mysuru: The upcoming elections for the Mysore-Kodagu Lok Sabha Constituency promise a significant showdown between the Congress and BJP. The Congress has nominated M. Lakshman to contest against the BJP's Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar in the polls scheduled for April 26.
It's evident that the Congress is strategically playing the 'Vokkaliga card,' as their candidate, Mr. Lakshman, highlighted the party's decision to field a candidate from the Vokkaliga community in the constituency after almost four decades. He criticized the BJP for not granting tickets to prominent Vokkaliga leaders like D.V. Sadananda Gowda and Pratap Simha.
During a recent media interaction in Mysuru, Mr. Lakshman expressed, "Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was unfairly branded as Anti-Vokkaliga. Now, I've been entrusted with a ticket. This move by the Congress serves as a strong rebuttal to the BJP. The Vokkaliga community holds perhaps the second-largest vote share in the constituency. Personally, I consider myself a common man with a solid educational background. I lack a political lineage and come from a family of farmers. Given the opportunity, I believe I can serve as an effective MP this time around."
Characterizing the election as a clash between an ordinary citizen and royalty, Mr. Lakshman expressed his respect for the royal family. However, he personally expressed dissatisfaction with Mr. Yaduveer's decision to align with the BJP, a party he perceives as being against reservation and social justice.
Also Read: Congress strategizes Vokkaliga appeal in Mysuru-Kodagu as BJP denies ticket to Pratap Simha
"If Mr. Yaduveer had sought the Congress's support, he could have secured an election ticket," he remarked sarcastically. Mr. Lakshman criticized the BJP for compelling Mr. Yaduveer to engage with the common people, particularly in settings like tea stalls, and so forth.
The BJP on 13 March dropped two time MP Pratap Simha and fielded Mysuru royal scion Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar from the seat. The rationale behind the decision to remove Mr. Simha, who secured victory in the Mysore-Kodagu constituency in both 2014 and 2019, remains unclear. Nonetheless, there is speculation that a significant factor could have been the security breach in Parliament during December 2023, wherein protestors utilized passes issued by Mr Simha to gain access to the visitors’ gallery.
The breach of Parliament security sparked a significant confrontation between the government and opposition parties. The opposition demanded a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi within the House and called for action against Mr Simha.
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