Young leaders have defeated chief ministerial candidates in Mandya

Bengaluru: Mandya has got its own special connection with politics. Here big leaders were defeated and even made ministers. Unquestionable political stalwarts have been toppled by 'new entry' youth leaders. They have defeated the undeclared CM candidates.

If we look at Mandya electoral politics, MK Shivananjapa, who has entered parliament four times in a row, is a victorious leader, but few others like Puttaswamy Gowda of Srirangapatna, T Mariappa of Nagamangala, HP Veeregowda of Malavalli were featured. Apart from the fact that they escaped defeat as legislators for one term, all the 'popular leaders' of the district were defeated.

KV Shankar Gowda created political history as the 'godfather' of many leaders who pioneered the development of Mandya district. Although the powers enjoyed as MLAs, MPs and Ministers were minimal, the achievements made were immense. Such a top leader like Shankar Gowda also had to experience the failure.

In fact, KV Shankar Gowda lost from Mandya constituency in 1962 and 1972 and from Keragodu constituency in 1982. Amid three defeats, KVS has taken the lead in district politics. HK Veeranna Gowda was a great leader through the freedom movement and Shivapura Congress movement. From 1952-57, he was elected for two terms as a minister. However, when he contested as an undeclared CM candidate in 1962, he was defeated by SM Krishna. He lost in 1967 as well, even though he entered the electoral battle from Kirugavalu constituency, he could not win against G Madhe Gowda here as well.

SM Krishna, who rose to prominence as the undisputed leader of state politics after holding posts like Chief Minister, Union Minister, Governor, Speaker, and Deputy Chief Minister, also felt the bitterness of defeat. In 1967, M Manche Gowda defeated Krishna, but by 1994, Manche Gowda's son Mahesh Chand defeated Krishna who ruled as Speaker and Deputy Chief Minister. KV Shankar Gowda defeated Krishna in the 1984 parliamentary elections as well.

As a first in Mandya political history, G Madhe Gowda, who emerged as an undefeated candidate after winning 6 consecutive victories from Kirugavalu constituency, also had two great victories in the Lok Sabha as well. However, in 1996 he lost against KR Pete Krishna and in 1998 against Ambareesh.

As the president of Mysore Pradesh Congress Committee, Sahukar Channaiah, the candidate from Mandya constituency who was leading the Congress, was defeated in 1957 by G.S. Bommegowda, an Independent candidate. By then, Sahukar Channaiah was being touted as an undeclared chief ministerial candidate.

HD Chowdaiah, who had played ruler politics in the Keragodu constituency, lost to SM Krishna in the parliamentary elections held in 1968 and 1972. An influential Veerashaiva leader of Malavalli constituency, Rajya Sabha member BP Nagarajamurthy was defeated by G. Made Gowda in Kirugavalu constituency before entering Delhi politics. B Somashekhar, who held the post of Education, Revenue and District In-charge Minister, also surrendered to defeat in 2008 elections. Malavalli M Mallikarjunaswamy, who won four times in a row and handled prestigious portfolio, also suffered defeats in the following days.Ambarish has found a foothold in Mandya politics through his movie image. After losing the Ramanagara constituency, in Mandya he won landslide victories in the 1998-99 and 2004 Lok Sabha elections. However, in the 2008 Srirangapatna Legislative Assembly, Ramesh Babu lost against Bandesidde Gowda and in the 2009 parliamentary election, he lost against N Chaluvarayaswamy. Even KR Pete Krishna, who successfully handled the position of Speaker and Minister, could not get out of the vortex of defeat. He lost against Ambarish in the 1999 parliamentary election and against Chandrasekhar in the 2008 KR Pete assembly election.