Kota Shrinivas Poojari: Veteran BJP Leader With Public Appeal To Retain Udupi Chikmagalur Seat (image: twitter.com/KotasBJP/)

Kota Srinivas Poojari, veteran BJP leader, currently serves as the Leader of the Opposition in Karnataka Legislative Council. In the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, he will field from Udupi Chikmagalur seat from Coastal Karnataka, a seat held by Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje.

In the previous BJP government in the state as a cabinet minister Kota Srinivas Poojari has held several departments including Muzrai, Ports & Inland Transport, Fisheries, Backward Class Welfare, and Social Welfare. Poojari has also served as Leader of the House in the Council from 2019 to 2023 and prior to this, he took the role of Leader of the Opposition in Karnataka Legislative Council during 2018-19.

Kota Srinivas Poojari, has started his political career with Gram Panchayat. In the following years he became elected as a member of the Taluk Panchayat and as a member of the Zilla Panchayat. Later, he worked in several positions of the State BJP. In 2009, he was elected for the first time to the Karnataka Legislative Council. A good orator, Poojari is admired for his simple and uncorrupt political journey as well for his service-oriented activities. He belongs to OBC community.

The Udupi Chikmagalur constituency is known for the influence of Hindu organisations and Sangh Parivar. Since it is a safe seat, Shobha was keen to contest again from the same constituency but she has encountered opposition from local party leaders and workers. She has been shifted to Bangalore North following Opposition from locals and recent social media campaigns opposing her candidacy in the sitting seat.

While addressing an event recently, Poojari claimed that BJP will Udupi Chikmagalur constituency with a significant majority.