Vijayapura: With the Election Commission of India (ECI) is expected to announce the Model Code of Conduct for the 2023 Assembly elections in the last week of March, the lobbying for the ticket in different parties has intensified.
The competition for tickets seems to be tough in the Ruling Party BJP and the main Opposition, the Congress, while the JD (S) does not look to be in the race in the District.
Meanwhile, in all likelihood, the candidature of the present MLAs of all three parties is said to be certain. Of the eight Assembly Constituencies of the District, four are represented by the ruling BJP, three are with the Congress and JD(S) has only one seat.
BJP has MLAs in Vijayapura City, Sindagi, Devarahipparagi and Muddebihal, while the Congress has MLAs in Babaleshwar, Basavanabagewadi and Indi. JD (S) has MLA in Nagathan Reserve Constituency.
Starting from Vijayapura City, the BJP is likely to give ticket to sitting MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal despite the fact that he is facing resistance from his own party leaders.
In the Congress, Abdul Hamid Mushrif is the front runner who lost against Yatnal in the last elections by less than 6,000 votes. Besides Mushrif nearly two dozen other aspirants have also sought ticket from Vijayapura City.
The JD (S) is still searching for the candidate. The party has no influential leader. Therefore it is learnt that the party is looking for candidates of other parties to induct in the party and offer ticket.
Coming to Sindagi Constituency, the Assembly segment was with the JD (S) where Late M. C. Managuli had won, but after his death due to post Covid complications, the seat fell vacant and necessitated by-election.
The Congress fielded Managuli’s son Ashok Managuli by making him quit from the JD (S) and the BJP offered a ticket again to Ramesh Bhusnur who had lost to Managuli in the last polls.
The voters of Sindagi who had chosen the father when he was in JD (S), rejected his son when he joined the Congress. Now, Ashok Managuli is a front runner from the Congress while nine others too have sought ticket.
The JD (S) had declared Shivanand Patil Somajal as the party’s official candidate but after his sudden demise due to heart attack, the party has now decided to field his widow, Vishalakshi in the polls from Sindagi.
Babaleshwar Constituency is represented by M. B. Patil, the strong leader of the Congress, forymer Minister and present Karnataka Pradesh Congress Campaign Committee President. Patil has already created a hat-trick by winning from Babaleshwar in three successive elections. While there is no competition for ticket in the Congress from Babaleshwar, the BJP is contemplating on ticket.
The competition is now between Vijugouda Patil, the bête noir of M. B. Patil and the Former Zilla Panchayat President Umesh Kolkur.
While Vijugouda has fought against M. B. Patil in three elections but has lost all the time. Kolkur was with the Congress but a couple of years ago joined the BJP after some reported rift with M. B. Patil. Kolkur was a ZP Member from Sarwad which was one of the ZPs of Babaleshwar Taluk.
The JD (S) has given ticket to Basappa Honawad, a local leader. For Basavanabagewadi Taluk, sitting MLA, Shivanand Patil is likely to get Congress ticket. In BJP, Former Minister S. K. Bellubbi and Appugouda Patil have sought ticket from the BJP. The JD (S) has given ticket to Paramanand Tanikhedar.
Since Congress MLA, Yeshwantraigouda Patil is representing Indi Taluk, therefore, he is likely to get a ticket. In the BJP, Dayasagar Patil who lost against Yeshwantrai in the last election, is among the ticket aspirants. JD (S) has offered tickets to its Taluk President B. D. Patil.
For Nagathan Reserved Constituency JD (S) has already announced tickets to its lone MLA Devanand Chavan. From the BJP, Gopal Karjol, the son of Minister Govind Karjol who lost against Chavan in the last polls, is the front runner. Retired Police Officer Mahendra Naik is also one of the aspirants. In the Congress, those who have sought tickets are, Former MLARaju Algur, another former MLA, Vithal Katakadonda Dalit Leader Srinath Pujari and dozen others.
From Muddebihal, the BJP will give a ticket to sitting MLA A. S. Patil Nadahalli. Former MLA C. S. Nadagouda who lost against Nadahalli in the last election is the front runner for the Congress ticket. The JD (S) has given a ticket to C. S. Solapur.
Finally, for the Devarahipparagi Assembly segment, the BJP is likely to give a ticket to sitting MLA Somanagouda Patil Sasanur. The Congress has around nine aspirants including Anandgouda Patil and Prabhugouda Patil. The JD (S) has given tickets to Rajugouda Patil.
