Party will have to tread carefully on Belgaum
9:52 AM Posted by ukmad
It is a win they were desperate for. But the victory in Karnataka is likely to bring some discomfort to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Maharashtra.
The party will now have to be very careful about the stand it takes on the dispute between Karnataka and Maharashtra over the Marathi-dominated border district of Belgaum. “Linguistc identity has, in recent times, become a dominant flavour of Maharashtra politics,” said political scientist B. Venkatesh Kumar. “With the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, one needs to look at the positioning of the Maharashtra BJP, especially when its ally, the Shiv Sena, is very vocal about Belgaum.”
The BJP has won seven of the 10 seats in Belgaum, even affecting the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti, which has been fighting for Belgaum to be included in Maharashtra.
The Sena has been very aggressive about the Marathi-speaking population in Belgaum with party chief Bal Thackeray threatening in 2005 to attack Kannadigas in Maharashtra if a single Marathi-speaking person was harmed in Belgaum. Nearly half the population in Belgaum is Marathi-speaking. Despite this, the district was included in Karnataka.
Sena leader Subhash Desai said, “The Sena will try to pursue this issue. With the BJP in power there (Karnataka), we will appeal to them.”
Maharashtra BJP’s state general secretary Madhu Chavan said the party’s central leadership would try its best to evolve a solution. “As far as Maharashtra BJP is concerned we are with Shiv Sena and the people of Belgaum. If Marathi-speaking people in the area want to live in Maharashtra then their demand must be met.”
Kumar said the issue could create some tension between the allies. “It will require a lot of political maneuvering at a senior level on both sides,” he said.
ABHAY PATIL,SANJAY B PATIL & FEROZ NURUDDIN SAIT win
4:01 PM Posted by ukmad
To see detailed votes for each candidate click here
Children drafted for campaigning in many segments in Belgaum district
10:00 AM Posted by ukmad
Vijaykumar Patil
All that they know is that their parents get money when they go for canvassing
Child Labour Act and the model code of conduct do not say anything about it
Child welfare committee chairman says action can be taken in such cases
DISTURBING: Children of Harugeri of Raibag (SC) Assembly constituency who worked for a candidate of a national party during campaigning.
In what could be a disturbing development, children aged less than 14 are being either engaged or hired for campaigning by contestants fielded by national political parties or those contesting independently.
Interestingly, the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986, which prohibits engaging children in certain employments and regulates the conditions of work of children in certain other employments, does not speak of children being engaged or employed as workers in electioneering.
However, when certain incidences were brought to the notice of Deputy Commissioner and Chairman of the Belgaum District Child Welfare Committee, M.E. Shivalingmurthy, here on Tuesday, he said action could be taken in such cases.
Children are openly campaigning in favour of contestant(s) in several Assembly constituencies of the district but none in the Department of Women and Child have bothered to take note of it, not even the Election Observers or Section Officers in the department.
Though Mr. Shivalingmurthy initially denied any such a practice in the district, he said action could be taken if it came to light when photographs pertaining to campaigning in Raibag (SC) and Ramdurg Assembly constituencies in the district were produced.
In Harugeri village of Ramdurg, a group of four children, apparently belonging to poor families, all aged less than 14 and who have just passed fifth and sixth standards in a local Kannada-medium school, were found canvassing for a candidate. They had identified themselves as workers of the political party by wearing the caps gifted to them recently. That apart, all the four boys said they were paid for the work — to go door-to-door and appeal to voters to vote for their candidate.
Sadashiv Gundappa, Kiran Ramappa Kamble and Balappa Pappakka Kamble told The Hindu that the party leaders had paid Rs. 70 and gave a cap to each of them. However, the money was handed over to their parents at the party election office opened in the village. Mallesh Dilip Kamble said he was paid Rs. 20 for the entire season to canvas for the candidate.
These boys said they were enjoying campaigning since they had holidays. However, they said they were not aware of anything called child labour. What they know is that their parents got some money when they campaigned for the candidate.
Children were seen actively participating in campaigning for an independent candidate in Belgaum North Assembly constituency.
Even the Model Code of Conduct of the Election Commission is silent on such issues.
9:39 PM Posted by ukmad
The Mumbai-Karnataka region that's seen fierce border dispute for the last 50 years, votes in the third phase of polls on Thursday.
To See Video Click here
It’s been the war cry of the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) in Belgaum for five decades - MES candidates like Manohar Kinekar have been winning local body and Assembly elections on just one issue that they'll fight to make Belgaum a part of Maharashtra.
MES candidate Manohar Kinekar said, “When the border issue is solved all other problems are solved too because we'll participate better in governance and we can solve the problem in better way.”
But this time the MES has to contend with its own rebels in 3 of 5 Assembly seats. After being denied tickets, leaders like Shivaji Sunthkar, have decided to stand independently.
Sunthkar said, “People are out on the streets saying their favourite candidate has been sidelined by the party and so they want me to fight as an independent.”
Its this in-fighting in MES that Congress and BJP are banking on. They are seeking votes on the development plank.
And 50 years after re-organisation of States, that's the election issue for the aam aadmi too.
The language issue is certainly an emotional one, but you can't live on it. Be it the Marathi manus or the Kannada manava, the basics of roti, kapda and makaan are more important.
And that's could well help parties other than the MES in gaining ground.
Interesting contest on the cards in Belgaum North
7:06 AM Posted by ukmad
Source: The Hindu
All major parties have fielded their nominees here
Two-time MLA Ramesh L. Kudachi is the Janata Dal (S) candidate
Sait is the first-ever Muslim to be fielded by the Congress in Belgaum (Belgaum North)
Belgaum: All eyes are on Belgaum North constituency, where all major parties have fielded their candidates.
But what makes it more interesting is the presence of MES rebel Ramesh Gangaram Pawale and Rashtriya Hindustan Sena candidate Vilas Ramachandra Pawar. The people of the constituency are equally curious about the prospects of Janata Dal (Secular ) candidate and two-time MLA Ramesh L. Kudachi, who quit the Congress after being denied the ticket.
Mr. Kudachi told The Hindu that he had no option but to quit as he had been sidelined in the Congress.
He joined the Janata Dal (S) and entered the poll fray to show that the Congress was “weak” without him in the party.
His presence has become a thorn in the flesh of Congress candidate Feroz Nooruddin Sait.
However, the realisation of the objective of Mr. Kudachi, who belongs to the Kurbar community, depends largely on the number of votes he would get from the Muslim community, which supported him in the 1999 and 2004 elections.
But, Mr. Kudachi has not lost hopes completely and feels that a section of Marathi-speaking voters would support him. Mr. Kudachi was the first-ever Kannada speaking candidate to defeat the MES in the erstwhile Belgaum City Assembly constituency.
Mr. Sait is the first-ever Muslim to be fielded by the Congress in Belgaum (Belgaum North).
The BJP is hoping to do well in Belgaum North.Weak candidate
Though its candidate and former chairman of Belgaum Urban Development Authority Shankargowda Patil is considered relatively weak when compared to others in the fray, party leaders say the situation is fast turning in his favour.
In addition to support from his own Lingayat community, the party expects the support of all Kannada organisations.
Though the former Mayor and MES candidate Vijay Pandurang More is regarded as a “good person” by all communities in the light of his work, his caste (SC) has turned out be an obstacle for him.
Many feel that all Marathas, who are in substantial numbers in the constituency and are traditional supporters of MES, may not support Mr. More.
But, he too is confident that these voters and a section of the Kannada and Urdu-speaking voters would support him.Pawale firm
Efforts of the MES central leadership have failed to convince Mr. Pawale to withdraw from the fray.
Also, Mr. More’s problems have only aggravated due to the presence of Mr. Pawar, who is also a Maratha.
In the last elections, Mr. Pawar contested on the BJP ticket and lost to Mr. Kudachi by a margin of 1,017 votes.
Interestingly, the Bahujan Samaj Party’s candidate, whose profile is much better than any other candidate in the fray, is also hopeful of doing well.
Know your Candidates for Belgaum North,South & Rural
10:37 PM Posted by ukmad
Please click on the Candidate's Name to see the affidavits filed by him/her.
Belgaum Uttar
KUDACHI RAMESH LAXMAN
DR. NADAF RASULSAB YAMANAPPA
FEROZ NURUDDIN SAIT
SHANKARGOUDA I PATIL
PUSHPA S HUBALI
SHASHIKANT SHANKARRAO BALEKUNDRI
ATTAULLHA MOHAMMAD ALI TANEKHAN
ISMAIL MAGDUM MAGDUM GOUSMOHIUDDIN
BADAVANCHE LAXMAN BHARMA
BANDENAWAZ M SAYYED
MULLA IQBAL AHMED ABDUL KHADAR
RAMESH GANGARAM PAWALE
VIJAY PANDURANG MORE
VILAS PAWAR
12 - Belgaum Dakshin
ABHAY PATIL
CHANNAHOSUR SIDRAI GANGAPPA
PATIL SAMBHAJI LAXMAN
PRAMOD BALASAHEB PATIL
PRAKASH RAMCHANDRA SHIROLKAR
MARUTI DAULATRAO SHINDE
LODHI AIJAZ AHAMED
KIRAN KRISHNARAO SAYANAK
DALVI DEEPAK ARJUNRAO
PARSHURAM PATIL
MAHESH MANOHAR LAD
HULABATTE RAJAN SHANTINATH
MALAGI SHIVAPUTRAPPA CHANNABASAPPA
RUKMINI GANGANNA GOWDA
SANJAY B PATIL
SAHUKAR MALLASETTAPPA
AKKI SHOBHA MALLAPPA
KOLLANATTI BHIMAPPA BALAPPA
RAJGOLI TOUSIF
KINEKAR MANOHAR KALLAPPA
BALU RAMLING ANAGOLKAR
SHIVAJI KEDHARI SUNTAKAR
Now Belgaum South will also have a nice fight
10:41 AM Posted by ukmad
By doing this the marathi vote that would have been divided can possibly go into Kiran Saynak's favour. But still the fight in South will be between, Sambhaji Patil(INC), Abhay Patil (BJP) & now Kiran Sayank (MES).
Belgaum candidates Complete List
7:22 PM Posted by ukmad
ATTAULLHA MOHAMMAD ALI TANEKHAN Age 35 youngest in north
DALVI DEEPAK ARJUNRAO age 65 eldest in southMAHESH MANOHAR LAD age 35 youngest in south
KOLLANATTI BHIMAPPA BALAPPA age 82 eldest in ruralRAJGOLI TOUSIF age 28 youngest in rural
Only 2 Women in rural & 1 in north have filed in their candidature.
None of the national parties have field in females(These parties are going to pass the womens reservation bill)
For the complete list of candidates, their age, address Click Here.
MES face a tough time as rebels contest
4:20 PM Posted by ukmad
From now on I will try and update about the various aspects that will effect the result of the election. North will be the most fierce battle of all. Will elaborate on each constitunecy later. Here's the first post in that regard.
Source: The New Indian Express
FIRST time in the five-decade-old history of Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) the pro-Maharashtrian organization is facing tough time with rebels contesting in four out of five Assembly constituencies in Belgaum district.
Six activists have contested as rebel against the official candidate in Khanapur constituency alone. Ramesh Pavale and Badavannache have contested against official candidate former mayor Vijay More in Belgaum North, former mayor Shivaji Sunthakar is contesting against former MES MLA Manohar Kinekar in Belgaum Rural, Deepak Dalavi is contesting against Kiran Sainak in Belgaum South and Muralidhar Patil, Vaishali Patil, Aravind Patil, Mahadev Maragale, Mugutsab Dharwadi and D M Gurav contested against former MES MLA Digambar Patil in Khanapur.
Apart from this MES is also facing threat from Shiva Sena as its district chief Prakash Shirolkar is contesting from Belgaum South and Khemanna Patil in Khanapur. Meanwhile, MES is being divided in different groups as its former Uchagoan MLA B I Patil openly declared his support to Sunthakar in rural segment and advised the MES activists to work for his victory.
Vijay More faced a tough time during his campaign too. As may as 18 galli units opposed his candidature and asked him to stay back from the election in the interest of the Marathi speaking population in the border areas. The pro-Maharashtrians opposed More’s candidature as he is not a Marathi speaking person and is a new entrant into the organisation.
But MES, defending its decision, pointed out that Marathi speaking population in Belgaum North was reduced to minority after delimitation. Presence of More would attract even non-Marathi votes, particularly dalits and backward community people, MES felt
Battle for BELGAUM
9:55 AM Posted by ukmad
Voting on 22nd May 2008
Three different MOCK POLLS for all the 3 Belgaum constituencies is there on the blog home page. Kindly vote for your candidate from your constituency. Also forward the blog link to your friends so that they could also vote in th Mock Polls.
List of Candidates:
Belgaum North: 1.Shankargouda Patil (BJP) 2. Vilas Pawar (Rashtriya Hindu Sena), 3.Laxman Badvanche (Independent) 4. Ramesh L. Kudachi (JD-S), 5.Bandenavaz Sayeed (Independent) 6. Vijay More (MES) 7. Firoz Sait (INC), 8.Pushpa Hubli (JDU), 9.Iqbal A Mulla (Independent), 10.Attaulla Tanekhan (Independent) 11.Ramesh Pawale (Independent),12.Rassulasab Nadaf(BSP), 13.Ismail Moinuddin(Independent) 14.Sashikant Balekundri(SP).
Belgaum South: 1.Abhay Kumar Patil(BJP), 2. Chennahosur S Gangappa (BSP), 3. Sambhaji Patil (INC), 4. Pramod Balasaheb Patil (JDS), 5. Prakash R Shirolkar (Shivsena) 6.Maruti D Shinde (SP), 7.Lodhi Ejiaz Mehmood (Muslim League), 8.Kiran K Sayanak (MES), 9.Deepak A Dalvi(Independent), 10.Parshram B Patil(Independent), 11.Mahesh M Lad (Independent), 12.Hulbatte Rajan Shantinath(Independent).
Belgaum Rural: 1.Shivputrappa Malgi (INC), 2.Rukmani Gouda (JDS), 3.Sanjay Patil (BJP), 4.Malshetyappa Sahukar(BSP), 5. Shobha Akki(Rashtriya Hindu sena), 6.Bhimappa Kolyannati (Lok Jan Shakti),7.Taufiq Rajgoli (Muslim League),8.Manohar Kinekar (MES),9.Balu R Angolkar(Independent),10.Shivaji Sunthkar(Independent).
Fierce contest likely in Belgaum North
10:29 AM Posted by ukmad
Congress has fielded Feroz Sait Khimjibhai
Ramesh Kudachi is JD(S) candidate
MES, which is facing the problem of rebel candidates, is trying to win back the seat
The electoral battle lines have become clear in Belgaum North constituency with the Congress naming Feroz Sait Khimjibhai as its candidate on Friday.
There is jubilation among the Muslim community members in the constituency as the Congress has conceded their demand. The Congress has considered the candidature of a Muslim leader for the first time from the constituency which was called Belgaum City before delimitation. However, this decision has cost the party dearly, as the two-time MLA Ramesh L. Kudachi quit the Congress and is in the fray as the Janata Dal (Secular) candidate.
Muslims in general and the Minority Cell of the Belgaum District Congress Committee have been demanding the party ticket to a Muslim candidate. They argued that Muslims had been traditionally supporting the Congress but the party had never done “justice” to the community or its leaders.
The contest is likely to be fierce in the constituency as there are a large number of Muslims in the segment and the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samithi (MES) is trying to win back the seat which it had lost in 1999 and 2004. The MES has fielded the former mayor Vijay Pandurang More for the constituency.
Mr. Kudachi, who belongs to Kuruba community, which has a sizeable presence in the constituency, had defeated the MES candidates in the last two elections with the support of Kannada-speaking electorate and a large section of Muslim voters. He is, however, confident that his “vote bank” is intact.
Senior leader of the MES Deepak Dalvi has filed his nomination papers as a rebel to “teach a lesson” to the samithi’s leader Kiran Thakur. Problems in the MES have further compounded with Ramesh Paule, a follower of Mr. Dalvi, filing his nomination papers on Saturday.
Though none of the MES candidates in the previous elections enjoyed any sympathy of Kannada-speaking voters, Mr. More, who belongs to the Scheduled Castes, is popular among all sections of society. People have seen him as a social worker who is available to the common man round the clock.
The Bharatitya Janata Party’s bet with the former Chairman of Belgaum Urban Development Authority Shankargouda Patil, a Lingayat, is not being taken well within the party itself. The only criterion for his candidature is stated to be his close association with the former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa.
Though the Shiv Sena has fielded the former corporator Prakash Shirolkar, who recently raised the banner of revolt against the MES, his presence in the fray is likely to affect the prospects of the MES. However, the MES is trying to convince rebels to withdraw from the fray to avoid a split in the Marathi votes.
More’s nomination angers MES workers in Belgaum
9:52 AM Posted by ukmad
MES appears to have gone by ‘good image’ of More
More was attacked by Kanada activists in 2005 in Bangalore
The decision of Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) to field the former Mayor of Belgaum Vijay Pandurang More in Belgaum North Assembly Constituency for the May 22 elections has sparked angry protests against its leadership.
A group of MES workers, believed to be supporters of senior MES leader Deepak Dalvi, on Friday morning threw stones at the house of Kiran Thakur, who is a senior MES leader and editor of popular Marathi daily newspaper Tarun Bharat.
Miscreants threw stones at Lokmanya Credit Co-operative Society in Bhagyanagar locality. Mr. Thakur is the founder-director of the society. Sources in the MES told The Hindu that the Dalvi camp was given a raw deal by MES leadership and rejected the claim of Mr. Dalvi to contest from Belgaum North.
It may be recalled here that Mr. Dalvi was arrested by the police in connection with violence against Kannada workers and was in Hindalga Jail for more than two months.
He had lost the elections in 1989 and 2004 as an independent.
But, the MES seems to have gone by the “good image” of Mr. More not only among the Marathi-speaking people but also among the Kannada-speaking and other lingustic communities cutting across religious and caste barriers.
Mr. More, who was elected as Mayor in 2005 when the post was reserved for Scheduled Caste, had faced the wrath of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike following a controversial resolution on “boundary dispute” between Karnataka and Maharashtra on the question of Belgaum and other areas.
The vedike activists had attacked Mr. More, the former mayor Shivaji Sunthakar and former MLA B.I. Patil near Vidhana Soudha and daubed their faces with black paint on November 11, 2005.
Ramesh Kudachi quits to join JD(S)
7:24 AM Posted by ukmad
Source: The HinduBeleaguered by the growing rebellion over refusal of ticket to aspirants, the Congress was served another jolt by its two-time MLA Ramesh L. Kudachi on Wednesday.
Mr. Kudachi, who was denied ticket to contest from Belgaum North, quit the Congress and joined the Janata Dal(S) today. The Janata Dal(S) lost no moment to project him as its official candidate from Belgaum North. The Janata Dal(S) will shortly organise a party workers meeting to admit “hundreds of Congress workers loyal to Mr. Kudachi”.
The decision was announced at a crowded press conference addressed by the vice-president of the State Janata Dal(S) and former Minister, Umesh V. Katti, and district unit president Ashok Pujari. Along with Mr. Kudachi, Dalit youth leader Mallesh Chougale also joined the party.
Mr. Kudachi, who quit Maharashtra Ekikaran Samithi (MES) and contested as a Congress candidate in the 1999 Assembly elections, created history by winning against the MES from the erstwhile Belgaum City then. With his election was broken the electoral hegemony of the MES, the pro-Maharashtra outfit surviving on the single-point issue of “boundary dispute” (demanding transfer of Belgaum, Nippani, Khanapur, Bidar, Karwar and other boundary areas to Maharashtra for over five decades).
He was again elected in the 2004 elections. Earlier, he had served as Mayor of the Belgaum City Corporation when he was an active leader in the MES.
Asked about the reasons for his decision to quit the Congress, he said a section of the top leaders of the party ensured that he did not get ticket much against the party’s guidelines on allotment of ticket.
The party had decided to give ticket to all its members of the previous Assembly, while it could consider for alternative candidates in constituencies whose constitution, after delimitation, had been affected by more than 50 per cent. But the party leaders showed disregard to this guideline and refused him the ticket even when 85 per cent of the areas in the erstwhile Belgaum City constituency have remained “intact” in the new Belgaum North Assembly constituency.
