Ballari: Congress candidate VS Ugrappa, who won the prestigious Ballari Lok Sabha by-poll seat with a record margin on Tuesday, has decided to shift his base from Bengaluru to Ballari to work for the people of the district.

Ugrappa defeated BJP’s J Shanta by a record margin of over two lakh votes. The by-election was necessitated after BJP’s B Sriramulu vacated the seat after he was elected to the state Assembly in May this year.

Also read: Congress-JD(S) alliance wins 4 seats

With Ugrappa’s triumph, Congress has avenged its three-term defeat to BJP in Ballarai Lok Sabha constituency, which was once the bastion of Congress.

Congress had won here from 1952 to 2000 including Sonia Gandhi’s victory over BJP’s Sushma Swaraj in 1999.

In an exclusive chat with MyNation, Ugrappa said, "I will shift to Ballari permanently and make visits to Bengaluru often. Since the people of Ballari have blessed me, it is my duty to be with them and listen to their problems and solve those problems."

Criticising the Reddy brothers of BJP for ignoring the development of Ballari, Ugrappa said that his first preference is to develop roads, generate employment and promote social forestry.

Ugrappa, who has been camping in Ballari from October 15, refused to comment on 2019 election in Ballari.

"I will not comment on Ballari candidate for 2019 May. As of now I am the winner and I leave it to party to decide," said Ugrappa.

Earlier, Karnataka Congress working president Dinesh Gundu Rao and minister DK Shivakumar said that they would expect the same combination to work in Ballari.

Commenting on Shivamogga, Ugrappa said the fight is between two ideologies - one belonging to socialist and secularist late S Bangarappa, the former state chief minister and other belongs to fascists and JD(S) candidate Madhu Bangarappa represents his father's views.

Madhu can transform Shivamogga and in future all secular parties can expect some positive changes, Ugrappa said.