Congress MLA visits institute where he worked as peon

Devendrappa, born to a tribal family in Chikmammanahatti village of Jagaluru taluk, served as a peon in a private educational institution for three decades.

Newly-elected Congress MLA B Devendrappa on Thursday returned to the Amara Bharati Vidya Kendra in Jagalur, where he once served as a peon for over three decades, personally swept the school verandah, tidied up the principal’s office, and ceremoniously rang the school bell to commence school academic year.

Congress MLA B Devendrappa returned to the Amara Bharati Vidya Kendra in Jagalur, where he once served as a peon (HT Photo)

Having begun his career as a peon at Kendra in 1983, he devoted himself tirelessly until his retirement in 2013.

After embarking on a political journey, the Janata Dal (Secular) gave him a ticket, and he contested the election for the first time in 2018 and lost.

In 2022, he left the JD(S) and joined Congress. There was fierce competition for the Jagalur MLA ticket for the 2023 assembly elections, but Devendrappa got the nod. He defeated BJP MLA S V Ramachandra by just 874 votes.

Devendrappa, born to a tribal family in Chikmammanahatti village of Jagaluru taluk, served as a peon in a private educational institution for three decades. Now he has attracted attention by being elected to the assembly from the Jagaluru assembly constituency.

On Thursday, after cleaning the corridor, Devendrappa wished the students well. “I started working as a peon. I never forget the past and hard days of life. Though I was elected as an MLA, I’m not hesitant to do my earlier work,’’ Devendrappa told reporters.

“I asked the school staff to allow me to clean and launch the new academic year, and they obliged,” the MLA added.