Bantwal: We Indians are passionate about cricket and politics. While cricket has since long been mired in betting controversy, it is now the turn of politics. Believe it or not, even at the grassroots level heavy bets are being places around the Panchayat elections and the bet amount has run into lakhs of rupees already.
Sajipa Munnur ZP constituency in Bantwal has grabbed a lot of attention during the elections and as expected lot of money has been placed on predicting the party that will emerge victorious here.
Similarly, betting has been going on in other places of Bantwal like Sangabettu, Sarapady, Pudu, Mani and Kolnadu.
The common trend among punters is to place bet on the Congress and the BJP candidates.
The punters who have placed bets, ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 25 lakh are now eagerly waiting for the results with their fingers crossed.
Sajipa Munnur has hogged the limelight because this constituency has become a prestige issue for both- the Congress as well as the BJP.
While the Congress has fielded Chandra Prakash Shetty, a close associate of District in-charge Minister B Ramanath Rai, the BJP has fielded former MLA and former BJP district President Padmanabha Kottary.
With both the parties vehemently trying to bag the constituency, as expected the betting activities are of the same level.
No matter which the constituency is, the betting trend is the same. The punters have been placing their money on either the Congress or the BJP candidates, without sparing even a second on the JD(S), the SDPI and the independents.
The punters have been tight-lipped about the activities and if one wants to find evidences for the same, there are none.
However, speaking to NewsKarnataka.com, Bantwal Circle Inspector K U Belliyappa said that the allegations of betting are being widely heard in Bantwal Circle, but there are no evidences.
“In case such instances come to light stern action will be taken,” he said.
