Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, Apr 13: Halady Srinivas Shetty, who will fight the Assembly election this time as a BJP candidate from the local constituency, has launched his campaign as has been his practice, by performing puja at Lord Mahalingeshwara temple at Basrur on Friday April 12 morning.

Shetty has made it a custom to begin his campaign at Basrur during every election he has faced so far. He firmly believes that offering puja at this temple at the beginning proves to be auspicious for him. Therefore, on Friday, he performed puja to symbolically signify beginning of his electioneering.

BJP Mandal president here, Kadur Suresh Shetty, district BJP unit's Kiran Kodgi, Mandal general secretary, Bhaskar Billava, Kishen Hegde, Shankar Ankadakatte, Sadananda Balkur and others were present on the occasion.

The selection of Halady as BJP candidate from Kundapur created fissure in the Kundapur BJP, resulting in the resignation of six local BJP leaders who wanted the ticket to be given to Jayaprakash Hegde. However, the party asserted that it would not change its decision, and it would consider giving the ticket to Jayaprakash Hegde in next year's general elections.