Vijayapura: Despite twin districts, Vijayapura and Bagalkot MLC Constituencies for local bodies having two seats, the prominent political parties; the BJP and the Congress have reportedly decided to field only one candidate for the polls.
Interestingly, fielding one candidate has remained as a trend since several decades in MLC elections for local bodies’ constituencies, which the parties seem are wishing to continue. The parties do not want to take risk of losing both the seats as the winner is selected on the basis of highest preferential votes. Therefore, the Congress and the BJP leaders are of the view that they will field only one candidate from their parties.
“Though only around 10% of the party leaders are in favour of fielding two candidates, however the majority of them want the party to field only one candidate in order to ensure the victory,” said Chandrashekhar Kavatagi, Former BJP District President and Senior Party Leader. He added that the party is yet to take a final decision on it.
“The party will take final decision possibly during the visit of State President Nalin Kumar Kateel who is expected to arrive in the district on November 14 to attend the thanksgiving programme to voters for the victory of Ramesh Bhusnur in the recently held bypolls,” he said. To a question, Kavatagi said that the name of the candidate will also be finalised possibly on the same day. He also said that since candidates of Bagalkot District are contesting in the MLC polls for years, the local leaders are forcing the high command to consider giving tickets to candidates of Vijayapura this time.
“Since Vijayapura District has more local bodies compared to Bagalkot the party should select ticket aspirants from this district,” he said.
Similar is the view of the Congress also. Though the party has not taken any decision on fielding the number of candidates from the constituency, it is however for sure that the leaders want the candidate to be from Vijayapura District.
Though Sunilgouda Patil of the Congress who is the sitting MLC is from Vijayapura, he won only in the by-election. City MLA of BJP Basanagouda Patil Yatnal had won the MLC polls but as an independent candidate. S. R. Patil of Bagalkot District too had won on Congress ticket in the last election.
The State Election Commission has declared the dates for the polls. The election will be held on December 10, and the counting will be held on December 14. The notification will be issued on November 16. Last date for filing of nomination papers is November 23 and the last date for withdrawal of nominations is November 26.
The local bodies’ constituency of Vijayapura and Bagalkot has two seats, for which elected representative of one City Corporation of Vijayapura, five city municipalities, 10 town municipal councils, 10 town panchayats, two Zilla Panchayats (ZP), 22 Taluk Panchayats (TP) and 405 Gram Panchayats, thus in all 461 bodies can vote.
While the total members are 7689, in all 414 posts are vacant as tenure of a City Corporation, ZPs and TPs has already ended.
