Mysuru: Maintaining that Sakleshpur Assembly segment in Hassan district would become a general category seat in the near future, the city’s Chamaraja Constituency Congress MLA K. Harishgowda has challenged former Mysuru-Kodagu MP Prathap Simha to contest from his (Simha) native place Sakleshpur and he (Harishgowda) will take on him there.

Speaking to press person atop Chamundi Hill yesterday, Harishgowda, while commenting on Simha’s statement that he would contest from Chamaraja Assembly segment in the next Assembly polls, said currently, Sakleshpur is an SC-Reserved Constituency and it is most likely that this Constituency may be made a general category seat following the delimitation which may take place by the 2028 Assembly polls.

“Prathap Simha is a native of Sakleshpur. Let him contest from there itself. I will take on him in the polls from Sakleshpur on a Congress ticket. Let us see who will win. Though Simha is free to contest the polls, he should not personally target me by making insulting remarks,” the MLA said.

Asserting that he was ready to take on Simha from Chamaraja or elsewhere, Harishgowda said that the electorate of Chamaraja Assembly segment knows him (Harishgowda). However, he would not project Simha as an outsider as great personalities like Rashtrakavi Kuvempu and littérateur S.L. Bhyrappa too settled down in Mysuru.

He asked Simha to fight the polls on a competitive spirit and not use abusive or insulting remarks against him nor his supporters.