In the 2018 assembly elections, Kumar defeated Madhu by 3,286 votes. (file)
Shivamogga:
The sons of former Karnataka chief minister late S Bangarappa, who belong to rival parties BJP and Congress, will once again fight to inherit their father’s political legacy in the May 10 state assembly elections.
Kumar Bangarappa and Madhu Bangarappa are pitted against each other in the Soraba constituency in Shivamogga district, which was represented by their father from 1967 to 1994 in the Lok Sabha elections. While Kumar, who represents the BJP, is seeking re-election from Soraba, his younger brother Madhu is contesting on a Congress ticket.
In the 2018 assembly elections, Kumar defeated Madhu by 3,286 votes.
Kumar had quit the Congress and joined the BJP ahead of the 2018 polls, while Madhu, the sitting MLA from Soraba, was seeking re-election from the JD(S). Madhu joined Congress in 2021.
Going beyond sibling rivalry, the fight between the two often spills out into the open with family feuds and both sides leveling allegations against each other.
Bhai has been an electoral opponent since 2004, even when Bangarappa was alive.
Kumar, who has represented Soraba four times – in 1996 (by-election), 1999, 2004 and 2018 – has also served as a minister. Madhu was victorious in 2013.
The brothers have also been associated with the Kannada film industry in the past, with Kumar working as an actor, and Madhu as an actor and producer.
Like his father, both have changed political allegiance in the past.
Kumar was in the Congress and Madhu has been with the BJP, JD(S) and the Samajwadi Party.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)