Sunil Kumar to take on Hegde in Chikmagalur by-poll

Mangalore: State Yuva Morcha president V SunilKumar has been declared the BJPcandidate for Chikmagalur-UdupiLok Sabha by-poll necessitated by the resignation of DV SadanandaGowda after he was made the chief minister.

Sunil Kumar will lock horns with former minister Jayaprakash Hegde, the Congress candidate in the by-poll to be held on March 18. The seat is expected to witness a triangular fight as JD(S) is expected to announce its candidate in the next few days.

Madhu Bangarappa, son of former chief minister S Bangarappa, is expected to be the JD(S) candidate. However, with JD(S) not having a significant base in the region, the real fight will be between Sunil Kumar and Hegde.

The by-poll is the first real test for the leadership of chief ministerSadananda Gowda as he has to ensure the victory of BJP candidate in the constituency which he (Gowda) was forced to vacate after becoming the chief minister. The party has chosen the young former MLA Sunil Kumar to face the challenge.

Congress has chosen to repose its faith in Hegde who has maintained his mass contact with the people of the constituency even after his defeat last time. In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Gowda had defeated Hegde by a margin of 27,018 votes.

As Gowda is bracing for the challenge, BJP leaders and party workers are eagerly awaiting the next moves of Yeddyurappa as to whether he would take keen interest in the campaigning. Any infighting within BJP could prove costly for the ruling party as a defeat here could further strengthen the demand for reinstatement of Yeddyurappa as the chief minister.

Congress has already decided to field its entire top leadership including Union ministers SM Krishna and Veerappa Moily for campaigning in the by-poll.