more-inWriter and Kannada activist Chandrashekar Patil (popularly known as Champa) expressed his desire to contest in the Assembly polls from the newly floated Janasamanyara Paksha party. Before the 2013 polls Mr. Patil was briefly associated with Karnataka Janata Party, then headed by B.S. Though Mr. Patil had not contested polls, he had campaigned for Mr. Yeddyurappa. He said that while the Congress has no clarity on the Lingayat religion, Mr. Yeddyurappa cannot be considered a leader of the Lingayat community. Mahadayi water sharing dispute would also to be an important plank of the party.

Source: The Hindu January 15, 2018 18:00 UTC