Date:16/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/16/stories/2008051652180300.htm

Karnataka

It’s D-Day for 82 candidates in Davangere

H.S. Narasimha Kumar

All eyes on fight between M.P. Prakash and Karunakara Reddy in Harpanahalli

There are 12,78,773 voters in the eight constituencies
There is no Congress candidate in Davangere North constituency

DAVANGERE: The fate of 82 candidates in the eight Assembly segments in Davangere district will be decided on Friday.

There are 12,78,773 voters in the district, of which 65,8684 are men and 62,0089 are women.

The eight constituencies in Davangere are Davangere North, Davangere South, Jagalur, Harpanahalli, Harihar, Mayakonda, Chennagiri and Honnali.

Shyamanur Shivashankarappa, treasurer of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee; H.S. Nagaraj, Janaata Dal (Secular) leader, and Yashwantha Rao are some of the prominent candidates in the race for Davangere South constituency that has 1,60,169 voters including 81,360 men and 78,809 women. Ten candidates are in the fray in the constituency.

S.A. Ravindranath, the former Minister and BJP leader, and Koolenahalli Sathish of the Janata Dal (Secular) are prominent among those contesting the Davangere North seat. The Congress lost candidature here owing to a blunder it made while submitting nomination papers. There are 1,85,942 voters, including 94,328 men and 91,614 women, in the constituency. As many as 11 candidates are in the race here. A close contest between stalwarts like the former Deputy Chief Minister and Congress leader M.P. Prakash, and N. Karunakara Reddy, Bellary MP and BJP leader, in Harpanahalli has drawn the attention of the entire State. There are 78,975 men and 72,737 women voters in the constituency. The two candidates are engaged in a neck and neck race in the constituency where 10 candidates are in the fray.

H. Shivappa, the former Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader; Y. Nagappa, the former Minister and Congress leader; and B.P. Harish, BJP leader and former chairman of the Bhadra CADA (Command Area Development Authority) are caught in a triangular contest in Harihar Assembly segment. There are 1,66,412 voters here of which 85,468 are men and 80,944 are women. There are 12 candidates are in the fray here.

Mahima Patel, president of Suvarna Yuga party and son of the former Chief Minster late J.H. Patel; Janata Dal (Secular) leader Hodigere Ramesh; and BJP leader Madal Veerupakshappa are in the race in Chennagiri. Mr. Patel, in his unique way of electioneering, is on a fast to woo the voters. There are 1,54,450 total voters here, of which 81,042 are men and 73,408 are women. Eight candidates are contesting the seat.

The Jagalur Assembly segment, which has been made a reserve constituency, has a total of 1,44,906 voters of which 74,549 are men and 70,357 are women.

The Congress has fielded S.V. Ramachandra, Rajesh is the BJP candidate. Apart from these two, there are eight candidates are in the race.

Y. Ramappa, president of the Davangere Zilla Panchayat and Congress leader; M. Basavaraja Naika, the former president of the Davangere Taluk Panchayat and BJP leader; and A.H. Kotrappa of the Janata Dal (Secular) are among the 12 candidates in the fray in Mayakonda constituency. It has 1,59,540 voters of which 82,741 are men and 76,799 women.

The two former MLAs D.G. Shanthana Gowda of the Congress and Renukacharya of the BJP are among the nine candidates who are in the race in Honnali constituency. It has 1, 55,642 voters including 80,221 men and 75,421 women.