Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Oct 10: Ex-chief minister and state president of Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) S Bangarappa has dropped hints about shifting his political loyalties.

Bangarappa, who took over the reins of the BSP in the state after deserting the BJP, has not tasted much luck in getting a firm foothold for the BSP the state. His party was white-washed in the last assembly election. Bangarappa, by announcing that his party will not field any candidates for the ensuing by-poll for the eight vacant assembly seats, has made political analyzers curious about his next move.

Bangarappa, who has been a party-hopper since he entered politics, has changed parties at will. The fact that he could not retain the Sorab assembly constituency within his family, although both of his sons were fielded from there, gave clues about his dwindling influence on the voters. Sorab had been Bangarappa's strong bastion, where the voters reposed unstinted confidence in him by electing himself or one of his sons in every election since long. The constituency slipped out of his family's hold this time.

The aging politician, who also had tried his hands at turning a Kannada hero in films, spoke to reporters at his residence on Thursday October 9, where he announced of his decision not to field any candidates for the assembly seats for the by-poll. He said, he would extend support to secular parties. Some sources guess, that he is leaning towards the Congress again.

"Our party will support a candidate, even if he is jointly put up by the Congress and the JD (S). There is a need for the secular parties to come together to defeat communal forces," he explained.

He termed Sri Raghaveshwara Swamiji of Ramachandrapur Math as a 'BJP' Swamiji. He is very greedy of money and properties, Bangarappa criticized. He urged the government to withdraw the decision of handing over Gokarn temple to the above Math, which he labelled as improper.