Bangalore, April 11, 2013 DHNS

 Party hopping by politicians is nothing new. But forsaking a constituency to find political fortunes elsewhere is uncommon. 

Former minister Shobha Karandlaje has not only hopped the party but the constituency as well.

Karandlaje, after abandoning Yeshwantpur which she represented in the legislative assembly, is now sweating out in Rajajinagar constituency as KJP candidate.
Karandlaje is contesting against her one time cabinet colleague Law Minister Suresh Kumar and State Congress  women wing president Manjula Naidu.

On Wednesday, Karandlaje, on a padayatra, with a group of women, in Basaveshwaranagar III Stage, was seeking votes, highlighting the achievements of her mentor B S Yeddyurappa as chief minister.

When Deccan Herald asked her about her plans, Karandlaje said if given a chance she would work for all-round development of the constituency. In the KJP brochure, she has stated she left Yeshwantpur to give a chance for a backward class leader to contest from there.

A tour of the Yeshwantpur constituency shows Karandlaje’s desertion has not gone well with the people. Venugopal, a social worker from Herohalli, said Karandlaje, though a powerful minister, did not even meet the demand for a maternity hospital in the area. Repeated letters to her, went in vain, he alleged.

Raja Mouli, a hotel owner in Hemmigepura, is unhappy because the Konasandra lake has dried up, and blamed the former MLA for not saving the lake.

“Herohalli lake and other water bodies in the constituency have met with the similar fate,” he said.

Harish H of Kageri said the people of Rajajinagar should question as to why she forsake Yeshwantpur where she did not even complete her full term.

“The former minister always boasts of taking up development works worth crores of rupees in Yeshwantpur constituency during her regime. But the ground reality is different,” he said.

BJP campaign

A three time MLA from Rajajinagar, Suresh Kumar, who went on a door-to-door campaign in Shivanagar ward, was seeking votes based on the work he has done in the last five years.

He has been show casing the free dialysis centre for the poor, CBSE school for slum dwellers, Okalipuram corridor work among others as his achievements.
DH News Service