Dedication to party helps Pratap Simha Nayak get MLC nomination

Caricature : Shailesh Ujire

Belthangady, June 18: ‘Prataper MLC ge…….Kadek la BJP sariyayna nirdhana detondu’ (It seems Pratap Ji will be MLC. Finally BJP has taken the right decision)….. the conversation went on between two villagers who stood in the queue as they were waiting for their turn to deliver milk at the collection center in a remote village of Belthangady Taluk on Thursday morning.

Advocate Pratap Simha Nayak, commonly called ‘Prataper,’ by the people of Belthangady, has been declared the MLC candidate by the BJP. As the party has enough votes, his entry to the upper house is certain. 

Pratap Simha Nayak is one of the very few leaders in the district who maintains good relationships with not only party workers but even with political opponents. A soft-spoken person, Pratap Simha Nayak is known for his organizing capacity, dedication to the party and RSS, and also the organizing capacity.

It was during his leadership in the district, the party had won seven out of nine seats in Dakshina Kannada during the 2004 assembly elections. 

For years his name makes round for the Belthangady MLA and also Dakshina Kannada parliament seats but gets dropped at the last moment. 

It is at this point most of the leaders maintain distance from the party and keep themselves away from the activity. But Nayak, who inherited the bond with the saffron party from his father Late Veera Simha Nayak, was not moved by these. 

In the real meaning he was ‘Stithaprajna,’ and continued working for the party normally. 

Nayak continued his service to the party and now his dedicated work has borne fruits as the party has cleared his name for the Council election.

Be it during the Ram Mandir movement or any other activity related to the party and Sangh Parivar Pratap Simha Nayak always was active. Sangh and Party were first and personal life always took a backseat in his life.

But despite being a hardcore Hindutva leader, following the footsteps of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he always maintained a friendly relationship even with political opponents.

Though some felt his soft attitude was difficult for an MLA, his selection for MLC has brought celebration mood in the Dakshina Kannada BJP camp, especially in Belthangady.

“There are many honest party workers. It is good to see that the party is recognizing them. With Pratap Simha Nayak’s entry to the council, we are sure the district and especially Belthangady would see more developmental works,” Bhaskar, a BJP worker said.