Tag Archives: Dr Mantar Gowda

For the first time since 2004, Congress wins in Kodagu district

Congress candidates AS Ponnanna and Mantar Gowda won from Virajpet and Madikeri constituencies, defeating the sitting BJP MLAs with a considerable margin.

AS Ponnanna
Facebook / AS Ponnanna

For the first time in nearly two decades, Congress managed to win an Assembly election in Kodagu district of Karnataka, breaking the BJP’s run of wins in the hilly district. Congress candidate AS Ponnanna, a former Additional Advocate General in the Karnataka High Court, defeated KG Bopaiah of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Virajpet constituency of Kodagu district. In the same district, another Congress candidate Mantar Gowda, son of former Karnataka minister A Manju, defeated BJP’s Appachu Ranjan in the Madikeri constituency.

In 2004, BA Jeevijaya of the Congress had won from the erstwhile Somwarpet constituency in Kodagu district. However, in the last three elections held in 2008, 2013 and 2018, KG Bopaiah and Appachhu Ranjan had won from the two constituencies in the district — Virajpet and Madikeri. This time, the two Congress leaders defeated the sitting MLAs by a margin of over 4000 votes each.

The incumbent Virajpet MLA KG Bopaiah had triggered a controversy in the run up to the election, when he claimed that a win for the Congress would lead to celebrations of Tipu Jayanti returning in the state. AS Ponnanna maintained a studied silence on the issue and urged the BJP leader to speak about development.

The Congress party has emerged victorious in the recently concluded elections to the 224-member Karnataka Assembly, having won 132 seats and leading in four more constituencies as of 7.30 pm on Saturday, May 13, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI).

source: http://www.thenewsminute.com / The News Minute / Home> News / by TNM Staff / May 4th, 2023

Son gets ticket from Congress, while his father is a JD(S) candidate

Mantar Gowda remained with the Congress, while his father A. Manju was hopping from one party to another.

The Congress has chosen Mantar Gowda, son of former Minister A. Manju, for the Madikeri seat in Kodagu district. Interestingly, Mr. Manju is the JD(S) candidate for Arkalgud seat in Hassan district.

In 2021, when the elections for the Legislative Council from local bodies were held, Dr. Mantar Gowda had contested in Kodagu district on the Congress ticket and lost. Then, his father was with the BJP.

Dr. Mantar Gowda started his career in Congress. He worked as the president of the Hassan district Youth Congress.

His father was a Minister in the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government. He quit the party after suffering defeat in the 2018 Assembly elections and contested for Hassan Lok Sabha seat in 2019 on the BJP ticket.

Again, he left the BJP due to differences within the party. He was hoping to rejoin the Congress. However, the party did not assure him the ticket to contest for Arkalgud seat, forcing him to join the JD(S).

Even as his father was moving from one party to another, Dr. Mantar Gowda, a radiologist, remained with the Congress. He got a chance to contest in the council polls. And, now he has an opportunity in the Assembly polls.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India / by The Hindu Bureau / April 06th, 2023