melukote cheluvanarayana swamy temple yoga narasimha temple and puliyogare are the first images that the very mention of melukote evokessubbanna mess a centuryold quaint eatery in the heart of the temple town in mandya district is synonymous with puliyogare and sweet pongal world renowned for homely traditional plantainleaf meals the familyrun establishment has stood the test of time politics and covid19started as brahmana upahara kendra it is currently managed by subramanya popularly known as subbanna and his younger brother shankar narayanwhile they are known for upholding the culinary culture of the town not many are aware that politics is entrenched in the family since the emergency in 1975 with subbanna making his political foray during the period after several attempts subbanna won the gram panchayat elections a few decades ago but since then though hes a popular figure in the region hehas stayed away from pollsspeaking about how politics has changed in the region subbanna who is rooted and has refused offers to open and manage franchises in dubai and mumbai said back when i was actively involved in politics there wasnt much hype the focus was on community and its development with peoples demands from the mla being primarily to do with upgradation of lakes temples schools and farmercentric issues but now the first thing people ask is what have you done for mea janata parivar loyalist for almost four decades subbanna recently switched allegiance to the congressbacked sarvodaya karnataka paksha i was a hardcore janata dal supporter for years but now the party is filled with riffraff who have no respect for elders he reasonedsubbanna who offers leftover food free of cost after sunset pointed at casteism as the calling card in the region casteism is huge here if you are a brahmin you cant win elections here because the majority population is of the vokkaligas peoples electoral decision is based on the caste not the party or work done he lamentssitting in his house adjoining the mess which once served sevenpaise jaggery coffee and three dosas for 20 paise subbanna lists the main issues plaguing the constituency toilets drainage and drinking water problems need immediate attention