Udupi: A Student Leader 40 years ago is the Chief Minister today

By Subhas Marne
Bellevision Media Network

Udupi, 03 August 2011: A youth 40 years ago, who was the student leader of the then undivided South Kenara district has become the Chief Minister now. Perhaps that youth did dream or not that one day he will become the CM, but the internal crisis in BJP has elevated him to the seat of Chief Minister. That youth is Devaragunda Venkappa Sadananda Gowda (DVS), now our Chief Minister and he was an active leader during his college days.

 

 
He finished his BSc in St. Philomena College, Puttur, South Kenara and then when he was doing L.L.B. in Vykunta Baliga Law College Udupi he was the Chief Secretary of the College Students Union. At that time he was also the Secretary of undivided South Kenara District All India Students Association and had united the students.
 
During the college days DVS was an active student, say his classmates remembering those days. While he was a student he was such a youth that no one was hating him, says his classmate in the Law College now a Senior Lawyer in Udupi Ramachandra. He was a good student, at that time also he used to always smile and even today he is the same, he never angered anyone, always used to talk jokingly, Ramachandra shared his memories of the college days, with the reporter.

 

 
In his 30 years of long political career, he became the MLA twice from Puttur, once became MP of Mangalore. Later he became the State President of BJP. He did not take the risk of contesting again in Mangalore, but instead contested in BJP strong hold Udupi – Chickmagalur constituency and won. He won from Udupi, but it is true that his mind was mostly in Puttur – Bangalore and less in Udupi.
 
He had office in Udupi, but even after becoming MP for 2 years he did not have his house in Udupi. Until recently even his letter head beard the telephone numbers and addresses of Puttur and Mangalore office and not the telephone number and addresses of Udupi office. Though he was the MP of Udupi – Chickmagalur, his mind was not here. Now that he has become the Chief Minister, he will have to resign his MP seat. So, that means he will be no more the MP of Udupi – Chickmagalur.

 

 
 
As DVS will be loosing his MP seat, he will have to become a member of Vidanasabha or Vidana Parishad within 6 months. For the vacant Udupi – Chickmagalur MP seat also bi election will be held. If he becomes the member of Vidana Parishad then there is no problem, otherwise a Vidanasabha seat has to be made vacant anywhere in the state and bi election has to be held there for him.
 
There is no possibilities of DVS contesting from South Keenara district, BJP is thinking of making him the Vidanasabha member from Udupi district itself where he became MP. Raghupathi Bhat who is currently the MLA has already said that he will give up his seat in case DVS wishes to do so. But as per the BJP sources, there are possibilities of making the seat available for him either in Kundapura constituency where Haladi Shrinivasa Shetty is representing or in Kaup constituency where Lalaji Mendon is representing.