The Aryavarth Express
Agency(New Delhi): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has officially announced Narasimha Naik, familiarly known as Raju Gowda, as their candidate for the forthcoming by-election in the Shorapur assembly constituency. This election, scheduled for May 7, comes in the wake of the demise of the Congress MLA Raja Venkatappa Naik last month, prompting his son Raja Venugopal Naik to step up as the Congress’s candidate for the bypoll.
Narasimha Naik previously contended against Raja Venkatappa Naik in the last year’s assembly elections but was not successful.
The political rivalry between the late Raja Venkatappa Naik and Narasimha Naik in the Shorapur assembly segment, which is reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST), has a long history. They have faced each other in electoral contests five times from 2004 to 2023. Raja Venkatappa Naik secured victories in 2013 and 2023, while Narasimha Naik triumphed in the 2004, 2008, and 2018 elections.
This upcoming by-election will see Narasimha Naik competing against the son of his former rival, marking a new chapter in this longstanding political contest.
Narasimha Naik embarked on his political journey with a zilla panchayat election victory from Kodekal at the young age of 21, initially as a close ally of Raja Venkatappa Naik. However, their paths diverged when Narasimha Naik decided to challenge his once mentor in the 2004 assembly elections as a candidate of the Kannada Nadu Party, clinching a victory at just 25 years old. He later aligned with the BJP and served as the Small Scale Industries Minister in the state government, further solidifying his political career.