Mangaluru, (The Hindu):With a week remaining for the Assembly elections, two youngsters, who are freshers, are taking on senior political heavyweights of the Congress in two constituencies in Dakshina Kannada.

Among the national parties in the fray in eight Assembly constituencies in the district, the 25-year-old Nithin Kuthar of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), who is contesting for the first time, is the juniormost candidate.

The 73-year-old K. Vasantha Bangera, MLA of Belthangady, of the Congress is the senior-most candidate who is contesting for the ninth time.

With all constituencies witnessing a direct fight between the Congress and the BJP, the Belthangady constituency stands out with the 36-year-old Harish Poonja, also a first-time contestant, from the BJP taking on five-time MLA Mr. Bangera.

Mr. Bangera began his political innings with the BJP. He later jumped to the Janata Dal, Janata Dal (Secular) and has settled with the Congress since 2008. He had lost the elections thrice, once as an Independent and twice as Janata Dal (Secular) candidate.

The BJP has fielded a youngster against Mr. Bangera for the second time. It fielded Rajan G. Gowda in the last Assembly election and lost. Mr. Gowda was 31 year old then. Mr. Ranjan, son of former Congress minister K. Gangadhara Gowda, got 58,789 votes against 74,530 votes bagged by Mr. Bangera.

Mr. Gangadhara Gowda, also a party hopper, began his political career with the Congress, switched over to the Janata Dal (Secular), later jumped to the BJP and again returned to the Congress by joining the party (Congress) in the presence of Energy Minister D.K. Shiva Kumar in Belthangady on May 2.

Mr. Gangadhara Gowda, two-time Congress MLA, was the Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports in the late R. Gundu Rao’s cabinet. It is yet to be seen whether his returning to the Congress would alter the vote bank of the BJP in the constituency.

Notwithstanding the direct fight between the Congress and the BJP in Mangaluru constituency, the junior-most candidate Mr. Kuthar, an advocate, is contesting against U.T. Abul Khader, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies. Mr. Khader, a three-time MLA, is contesting for the fourth time.

In eight Assembly elections from 1957 to 1989, the fight in Mangaluru constituency (erstwhile Ullal) was between the Congress and the Left parties (Communist Party of India and Communist Party of India (Marxist).

It took an unexpected turn in 1994 when the BJP won for the first time against the Congress. K. Jayarama Shetty of the BJP defeated K.S. Mohammed Massod of the Congress. Later, in the last five elections, it has been a straight between the Congress and the BJP in the constituency.