BJP puts up tough fight in Congress bastion

By D. Sivarajan

HOSUR, APRIL 23. The BJP is all poised to make a dent in both the Hosur and Thally constituencies in Dharmapuri district. Thanks to the Opposition, which in addition to fielding weak candidates, has failed to put up a unified fight.

The initial disgruntlement in the BJP camp over the choice of candidates, as both are new entrants in the party, has been overcome and campaigning is now on in full swing. Mr. B. Venkataswamy, sitting MLA, joined the BJP from Janata Dal(S) only a year ago while, Mr. Muralidharan, nominated for Thally crossed from the TMC just a month ago.

In Hosur, the Congress candidate, Mr. J. P. T. Gopinath, has been fielded against Mr. Venkataswamy. His proximity to the former TNCC president, Mr. K. V. Thangabalu, is said to have got him the seat, but the selection left a trail of disappointment in both the Congress and TMC camps. With the Congress in the district already in disarray, managed by an adhoc committee, the going is expected to be tough for Mr. Gopinath.

During the 1996 elections, Mr. Venkataswamy won the seat securing 41,456 votes. The TMC candidate, Mr. T Venkatreddy, polled 31,719 votes followed by a TMC rebel, Mr. Sampangi Ramaiah, who got 20,355. Mr. Gopinath finished a poor fourth, securing 11,190 votes. The BJP got just 3,399 votes.

Mr. Ramaiah has now announced his decision to contest as Independent, unhappy over the TMC for failing to provide him a seat. Going by the votes he polled in the previous elections, thwarting the victory chances of the TMC candidate, a similar development is likely now.

In this constituency, a predominantly Telugu-speaking area, Reddys and Naidus constitute a majority of the voters. It is also said the caste factor will play a major part in the run- up to the elections. Mr. Venkataswamy belongs to the Okkaliga community, which also has a strong presence.

Further, the presence of the BJP in both the constituencies, considered a Congress bastion all along, has improved, a pointer cited being the victory of the NDA candidate in the Krishnagiri Lok Sabha constituency.

Though Mr. Venkataswamy has failed to do anything significant for Hosur town, the goodwill that he has created for himself in the constituency and his long innings in Hosur politics, winning two out of the four times he has contested since 1971, is expected to stand him in good stead, with the alliance partners also chipping in.

In Thally, the contest is between Mr. Muralidharan and the CPI candidate and sitting MLA, Mr. Raja Reddy. A BJP rebel, Mr. Muni Reddy, is also in the fray. Though caste factor remains part and parcel of elections in Thally, largescale dissatisfaction is said to prevail against Mr. Raja Reddy.

Past elections reveal that Hosur and Thally have been a strong bastion of the Congress with the regional parties unwilling to stake their chances. But now, faction fighting within the Congress has largely weakened it giving way for the BJP to dominate the scene.

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Section  : Southern States
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