Loyalty yet to pay off for BJP MLAs Bhat, Angara

Express News

Mangalore, 24 September 2010: It did not come as a surprise to the electorate in Mangalore and Sullia, when senior MLAs N Yogish Bhat and S Angara failed to secure berths in the state cabinet.

 

When Yogish Bhat overcame an antiincumbency wave to defeat his main Congress opponent Ivan D’Souza, it had been a forgone conclusion that Bhat would be made a minister. But when Bhat was ignored and Krishna Palemar was made minister, many presumed that Bhat would desert BJP.

 

Contrary to the popular perception, he continued in BJP and never ventured into betraying his emotions in public. Bhat’s loyalty to BJP was again put to test when the reins of Karnataka Coastal Development Authority, a brainchild of his, was handed to former MLA B Nagaraj Shetty.

 

A BSc graduate, Bhat’s style of politics has won applauds even from BJPbaiters like B Janardhan Poojary.

 

After serving as corporator for over 10 years, he was fielded on a BJP ticket against veteran congress leader Blasius D’Souza in 1994. He tasted his first victory by defeating D’Souza. Since then he has never looked back.

 

Angara’s feat

Sullia has been a reserved assembly constituency since 1976.

 

Once a strong bastion of Congress, S Angara wrested the seat for BJP in 1994. In all previous elections, he had overcome stiff challenges, malicious campaigns to trounce his Congress opponents like K Kushala, Bakila Hukrappa, Raghu by a huge margin.

 

The organisational skills of Angara have been praised by none other than Lal Krishna Advani, Narendra Modi and Sushma Swaraj, during their visit to Sullia.

 

Despite his long innings in politics, it is the absence of godfathers and not resorting to pressure tactics which have resulted in senior leaders overlooking him.

 

The two senior MLAs though overlooked, have taken it in their stride.

 

The electorate however remain befuddled on the arithmetic that goes in favour of making firsttime elected MLAs ministers and not fourtime MLAs.