Nestled in the Western Ghats, the picturesque Shivamogga district has produced several litterateurs like Rashtrakavi Kuvempu and of course, political giants like Shanthaveri Gopalagowda, S.Bangarappa. B Shivappa, Kagodu Thimmappa and the politically savvy B.S.Yediyurappa. Once the stronghold of the Congress Party, now it's an unquestioned, unimpregnable BJP fortress. Or is it?

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Arch rivals or not, and amid shifting political loyalties, these leaders, never bad mouth each other publicly and share an unspoken bond outside the political sphere. But in the last 25 to 30 years, the BJP's stalwarts Yediyurappa and K.S.Eshwarappa have grown in stature and have the upper hand. But the fiercest rivals, circling each other for one-upmanship these last 15 years, continue to be the Yediyurappa and Bangarappa families.

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With Lok Sabha polls to be held in May, once again these two families are lining up for yet another do -or-die battle. In the forefront is the sitting MP, Dr B. Y. Raghavendra, who had the rare distinction of defeating two members of  the Bangarappa clan -  Geeta Shivarajkumar and her brother Madhu Bangarappa.

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Geeta is married to Shivaraj Kumar, the star son of of the Kannada thespian Dr Raj Kumar who had declined to enter politics, even when his popularity was at its peak in 80's and 90s.

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In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, Geeta Shivarajkumar,  contested as the Janata Dal (secular) candidate against B.S. Yediyurappa of the BJP but it was barely a contest.  While Yediyurappa got 6.06 lakh votes, Geeta clocked a mere 2.40 lakh votes. In the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, Raghavendra  defeated Mr. S. Bangarappa, the former chief minister and stalwart of the Congress Party by a huge margin. In the 2018 bye-election, Raghavendra trounced Bangarappa's son, Madhu Bangarappa, standing from the JDS ticket by more than 50,000 votes. Madhu has since joined the Congress, while his brother Kumar Bangarappa, who was in the Congress, has joined the BJP.

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In 2019 too, Raghavendra had defeated Madhu Bangarappa  by 52 000 votes. Subsequently, Geeta Shivarajkumar quit the JDS and joined the Congress Party which is when KPCC President D.K.Shivakumar promised her a ticket in the parliamentary polls. And as promised, D.K. Shivakumar has had her name cleared in the very first Congress list that was announced on Friday.

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Kannada actor, Shivarajkumar must be pleased. He had expressed his wish to see his wife become a member of the Lok Sabha member. While that will be for the electorate to decide, the actor's not inconsiderable fan following may now become a deciding factor, as it is the only constant in a family which seems to have few qualms about switching party loyalties.

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Now, after a ten year hiatus, Raghavendra will be facing off against yet another member of the Bangarappa family -  Geeta Shivarajkumar - in yet another electoral face-off. Raghavendra, quiet and self-effacing,  in marked contrast to his fiery father and his brother Vijayendra is expected to coast through, backed as he is by the numerically strong Lingayat community.

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But he will be pitted against the Kannada star's wife, with many saying that Shivarajkumar is far more political ambitious now than he was before and could whip up a vote from among his fan following. Geeta, a Idiga community leader with sketchy oratorical skills unlike her father and former chief minister S. Bangarappa, but with political ambitions of her own is also being seen today, more as her film star husband's Trojan horse.

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Whether she can cash in on her husband's and her father's popularity - and her own -  is open to question, particularly as the young BJP leader Raghavendra hasn't lost an election in Shivamogga yet.

BOX THE BANGARAPPAS: Playing Political Musical Chairs

While S. Bangarappa started his political journey from the Congress Party, he later floated a regional party 'Kranthiranga' and won a couple of seats. Then he returned to the Congress fold, heading the Congress government as the CM, but came out again following his falling out with then Prime Minister P.V.Narasimha Rao. He contested as the Samajwadi Party candidate from Shivamogga and won that election.

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Later, he joined the BJP and got elected. Then, he quit the saffron party and went back to the Congress and contested in 2009 only to lose to B.Y.Raghavendra. He then joined Janata Dal Secular, which is where his political career finally came to a close.

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His sons, Kumar Bangarappa and Madhu Bangarappa have been equally adept at jumping ship. Neither see eye to eye. Kumar contested from Sorab on the Congress ticket and won the election. He served as a minister for some time. When Madhu Bangarappa made his debut into the political field, he stood from and defeated his brother in Sorab by contesting on the JDS symbol. Subsequently, Madhu Bangarappa joined the BJP.

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In the 2018 election, Kumar contesting on a BJP ticket, trounced his brother Madhu Bangarappa who was then with the JDS.

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In 2023, Madhu Bangarappa contesting on a Congress ticket, defeated his brother Kumar, who is still in the BJP.