Former Chairman of Karnataka Legislative Council, former Minister, former JD(S), and current BJP leader Basavaraj Horatti has created history in the country by registering his eighth successive win in the election to the Legislative Council from the Karnataka West Teachers’ Constituency.
With this, Mr. Horatti’s winning streak remains unchallenged ever since he was first elected to the Legislative Council in 1980 as a representative of Karnataka Rajya Madhyamika Shala Shikshakara Sangha.
Mr. Horatti, who was the face of Janata Dal(Secular) in North Karnataka till a month ago, shifted sides and joined the BJP just ahead of the Council election. Interestingly, although Mr. Horatti exceeds the age-limit of 75 years prescribed by the BJP high command, he was given BJP ticket much to the disappointment of the aspirants within the party. The shift in loyalty was the focus of electioneering by his opponents who said he joined a “communal” party to stay in power.
Mr. Horatti’s first win had come with a victory margin of 649 votes. The unstinted support of the teachers had increased the victory margin to 5,102 during his fifth term. His victory margin had slumped to 2,089 in 2010, when former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa had intensely campaigned against him, reportedly after Mr. Horatti had declined Mr. Yediyurappa’s offer to join the saffron party. Mr. Horatti’s one-time aide turned foe S.V. Sankanur was BJP’s rebel candidate then.
Then foes, now friends
In 2016, again BJP leaders led by then BJP State president Pralhad Joshi, former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, and the then Union Minister H.N. Ananthkumar, had extensively but unsuccessfully campaigned against Mr. Horatti. But this time, the same duo (Mr. Joshi and Mr. Shettar) along with other BJP leaders including Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai put their weight behind Mr. Horatti. The victory margin this time was 4,559.
Attributing his win to the trust the teachers had in him, a beaming Mr. Horatti told presspersons that teachers had never betrayed him during his over four decade-long political career and the victory was indication of the same. “No matter what allegations were made, teachers had trust in me. The fact that two generations of teachers have voted for me proves their trust,” he said adding that his efforts to would be to give them “peace of mind” while in service, as the Education Department was bound have one or the other problem.
Loss to JD(S)
This record win of Mr. Horatti is also a great loss to JD(S) as it has lost its face in the North Karnataka region and also a Council seat. Mr. Horatti’s aide and former MLA N.H. Konaraddi has already jumped to the Congress leaving the JD(S) without any prominent leader in the region. Mr. Horatti’s long time-aide-turned-foe Shrishail Gadadinni, who contested as JD(S) candidate managed to get just 273 votes.
The BJP’s appeal for “vote for change” in 2016 had become the tagline of the election campaign by the Congress this time with Basavaraj Gurikar, president of State Primary School Teachers’ Association, as its candidate. Mr. Gurikar polled 4,597 first preferential votes against Mr. Horatti’s 9,266. Of the 15,583 total polled votes, 1,223 votes were rejected by the election authorities.
