25 lakhs paid for Urdu Corporators in Belgaum Mayor Election
10:41 AM Posted by ukmad
In what is either a display of misplaced bravado, or a Freudian slip, the chief of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, T.A. Narayana Gowda, has admitted that "money power" had to be used in securing the victory of a Kannada-speaking corporator as mayor of the Belgaum City Corporation for the first time in 17 years, earlier this month.
In a 58-strong House dominated by members of the Maharashtra Ekikarana Samithi, Prashantha Budvi beat the MES' Neelima Pavshe by a slender margin of two votes, after Kannada and Urdu speaking corporators, numbering 29 in all, formed a forum called the Sarva Bhashik Samavichar Vedike. The deputy mayorship went too in favour of Yunus Momin of the Vedike, by an identical margin, 30-28.
The victory has been painted as a major victory for Kannada forces, with the newly elected mayor and deputy mayor being felicitated with great fanfare in Bangalore. But, in an admission that could have serious ramifications, Narayana Gowda has publicly admitted that money was used to lure a corporator.
"To get the support of an Urdu speaking corporator, the need arose to pay Rs 25 lakh," Gowda has been quoted as saying by Vijaya Karnataka, at a function in Arsikere.
Gowda has not revealed who paid the money, or to whom, but the paper reports that the disclosure has sowed several doubts in the minds of self-respecting Kannadigas.
Source: http://churumuri.wordpress.com/2008/03/20/going-price-for-a-corporators-loyalty-rs-25-lakh/
March 22, 2008 at 12:08 AM
Vijay Karnataka/Churmuri is trying to dilute the victory of kannadigas.
Mr editor of VK, its certainly not fair on your part to fill doubts in kannadigas.
Narayana Gowda has only told that MES was trying to grab the mayor seat by paying 25 lakhs. Narayana Gowda is a true gentleman and am very sure that he would not have resorted to those means of buying the seat.
It was a genuine effort by Karnataka Rakshana Vedike to create awareness amongst kannadigas. Narayana Gowda has spoken to all the kannadigas and have explained them, the need of pro-kannada political power in Belagaavi..
Apart from all the politics, MES was ruling the Belagaavi paalike for a long time and beLagaavi is still in a bad shape with negligible developments in the city. Instead of working towards the development of the city, MES was more focused on showing the marathi dominance and towards the merger of Belagaavi to Maharasthra..
Vijay Karnataka has given justification to what it posted yesterday..
Check out the below link:-
http://i29.tinypic.com/5trhg8.jpg
Kannadigas rock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jai kannadaambe
March 22, 2008 at 8:49 PM
Dear Kannadiga
I dont beleive in Marthi or Kannada, but beleive in Belgaum and Belgaumites, there are two thing , either if the fact is true then such corrupt people have no place in corporation and civil society, and if it is false then people the perosn who had said this should tender an public apology for suc rude comments.
but there is one point to think for everyone if its true then shauld we elect such people ? Will the keep society clean? or do we know our representative well?
March 26, 2008 at 9:06 PM
The demographics of Belgaum (Belgao) have always been a statistically significant Marathi majority, any which way you look at it. Even in the last corporation election, if you count the total number of Marathi corporators elected, it is greater than the kannadiga corporators. The kannadigas, instead of graciously accepting defeat (which is asking a lot from them), resorted to presurre tactics to the Karnataka govenment to have a mayor with a certain profile so as to get their candidate elected. Having tried every dirty trick in the political encyclopedia, the kannadigas were successful in getting their candidate elected, that too by a slim margin. The fact that money changed hands should not come as a surprise to anybody, it is the bravado, that the kannadiga leaders have now displayed in boasting about buying the corporators of a certain minority group, that is despicable.
It is time for Marathi people and the MES to unite under a common banner and a common cause. This should also serve as a wake up call to people in those wards who elected a Marathi representative, who in turn backstabbed them and supported the election of the current mayor, to confront your elected official.
Since this is a one year term, we will start the countdown (T-343 days), till the next Marathi mayor occupies his/her rightful place.
JAI MES..JAI HIND!!!