Vijayapura: With the term of MLCs of local bodies’ constituencies of Vijayapura and Bagalkot coming to an end in January next year, the political activities in the parties, mainly in the Congress and the BJP is getting intensified. The aspirants are already making a beeline to clinch the ‘B’ Form for their respective parties, and also lobbying to get the tickets to contest in the polls.
Vijayapura and Bagalkot districts together have two MLCs posts for local bodies’ constituency.
In the last election held in 2016, Congress candidate of Bagalkot district S. R. Patil who is the present Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council, won the poll. The BJP had given the ticket to G. S. Nyamagouda, the then sitting MLC. Since both seats had been secured by leaders of Bagalkot district in the last 4 elections, the demand was made from the leaders of Vijayapura to give tickets to leaders of this district. Despite the appeal, neither the Congress nor the BJP has offered tickets to any aspirant of Vijayapura district.
While there was not much rebellion witnessed from the Congress leaders, the then BJP leader and present MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal decided to contest as rebel candidate against the wishes of BJP. Though he won the election, the BJP sacked him for his anti-party activity.
Interestingly, the same party not only inducted him again but also offered a ticket to contest in the last assembly polls held in 2018. Following which, he resigned from the MLC post. Later, in the by-polls, Sunilgouda Patil, younger brother of Former Minister and Congress MLA, M. B. Patil contested the polls and won by over 2000 votes. The BJP had given ticket to the then Corporator, Gulappa Shetegar who got only 2779 votes.
Now, with the six-year-term coming to an end, aspirants of both the districts have already started lobbying for the ticket.
In the Congress, already three candidates are seeking ticket, and they include S. R. Patil, Sunilgouda Patil who are sitting MLCs, and KPCC spokesperson S. M. Patil Ganihar.
Since the BJP is in power in the State, the list of aspirants is going pretty long. Leaders of both the districts are trying hard to clinch the ticket. Prominent among them from Vijayapura is, BJP District President R. S. Patil Kuchabal and Gulappa Shetegar. The aspirants from Bagalkot are Arvind Mangalur, and Mallikarjun Charantimath among others. Meanwhile, Ganihar said that he wishes to contest from Vijayapura since no person of Muslim community of North Karnataka region has been given ticket to contest in MLC polls for local body constituency.
“Muslims deserve better political representation. Therefore I have decided to contest in the polls and seek a ticket. I hope that the party will offer me ticket”, he said.
Kuchabal of the BJP said that though he is also one of the aspirants, since many others are also seeking ticket, he will obey the orders of the party high command if the party offers a ticket to someone else.
