Sons of former Karnataka chief minister late S Bangarappa will cross swords in the May 12 state assembly polls in a bitter battle to inherit the political legacy of their father.
Kumar Bangarappa and Madhu Bangarappa are pitted against each other in Soraba constituency, once represented by their father from 1967 to 1994 till his election to the Lok Sabha.
While Kumar now represents the BJP after quitting the Congress ahead of the elections, his younger brother Madhu, a sitting MLA from Soraba, is seeking re-election from the JD(S).
The ruling Congress has fielded Raju M Tallur from the constituency.
Going beyond the sibling rivalry, the battle between the two has often turned nasty with the family feud spilling into the open and both the sides levelling accusations against each other.
Speaking to PTI, Madhu said he was confident of winning this election as he had started working for his constituency from day one.
He said his accessibility to people of the"constituency, utilisation of funds, completion of pending projects and following his father's legacy were the "factors in his favour".
Asked about being pitted against his own brother, he said, "Kumar is just another opponent for me in this election". He said the issue only looks "interesting" for the media during elections.
Pointing out that his brother has been his electoral opponent since 2004, when Bangarappa was alive, Madhu said, "He (Kumar) may lose badly as the BJP has no presence in our constituency".
Kumar, who has represented Soraba thrice and has also, served as a minister in the past, expressed confidence about his victory from the constituency.
He had won from Soraba in 1996, 1999 and 2004.
Kumar said it was under his father Bangarappa, the BJP started gaining momentum in the region when he contested for parliament in 2004.
"A powerful combination of Yeddyurappa and Bangarappa had worked then, and I think we should be able to repeat it once again now along with Modiji's phenomenon," he said.
Alleging corruption under the JD (S) in Soraba with regard to land grant, Kumar said, his brother Madhu as an MLA had "not performed".
Calling Madhu a "political opponent", Kumar said, "We are reaching out to people to see to that Bangarappa's support base and votes consolidate for development... I hope that voters will favour development politics of the BJP".
"The two brothers have also been associated with the Kannada film industry in the past, with Kumar having worked as an actor and Madhu as an actor and producer.
Like their father, both have shifted parties in the past.
Kumar was in the Congress and Madhu has had his stints with the BJP and the Samajwadi Party.
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