Symbol of Maratha pride saffron flag make people see red

Continuing with the media coverage for the elections here is a story from the DNA.

The crux of the whole story is it wont be a cakewalk for Angadi this time as it was last time. I have also said the same thing on this blog. This election will be won based on Caste & language rather than on issues of development.

The month of May will not only see a new government at the Centre, but also the 'rightful owner' of the colour saffron in Belgaum.
One of the northernmost districts of Karnataka, Belgaum, has over two lakh Marathis. The Marathi population has been defiantly hoisting a saffron flag on the district municipal building since the 1950s.
The flag, they say, is a symbol of Maratha pride. Now the saffron colour and its symbolic connotations have become a major campaign issue. A fight is on between the Hindutva brigade and the Marathis over who 'owns' the colour.
Things turned awry on March 17 this year when the Marathis were not allowed to hoist the flag at the new municipal corporation building as a PIL had been filed in a local court against the practice. Matters became complicated when BJP MP Suresh Angadi decided to intervene. Swearing on Kannada pride, he fought with Marathi leaders and hoisted the flag.
This resulted in a clash between Angadi's men and Kannada Rakshana Vedike activists, who accused the BJP MP of being anti-Kannada for letting the Marathis usurp the saffron colour.
In the melee, it dawned on Angadi that Maratha pride was all very well, but it would scupper his chances with the rest of the populace, including the 4.7 lakh Kannada-speaking lingayats in the area who traditionally supported the BJP due to chief minister BS Yeddyurappa.
With opponents like Amar Singh Patil of the Congress and AB Patil of the Janata Dal (S), both lingyats, Angadi realised that the general elections would not be a cakewalk.
To make matters worse, the Akhil Bharatiya Veera Shaiva Mahasabha (ABVSM), which decides on lingayat support to candidates, has not given its blessings to any party. When DNA spoke to Angadi, he appeared upset at suggestions that he had taken a partisan stand on the flag issue. "The colour saffron stands for Hindu pride. Hindu warriors have fought under the saffron flag for centuries. What Varun Gandhi has done for Hindus in the north, I have done for Hindus in Belgaum," he said. When asked if that meant he was not interested in votes from Marathi-speaking residents of the district, he hastened to add, "Marathi and Kannada are like my two eyes. In Belgaum, one cannot see without both of them."
When AB Patil was asked to comment on the war over saffron ownership, he preferred to remain quiet. Saffron, it seems, has managed to make people in Belgaum see red.
Source: DNA

Belgaum Loksabha 2009 Media Coverage

I will be posting the complete coverage done for Belgaum constituency by different media. 

First, one is from the Business Standard: Belgaum constituency set for a keen contest

 Former MP Amarsinh Patil has finally managed to get Congress ticket for the Belgaum Lok Sabha constituency despite opposition from members in his own party. He will take on BJP’s sitting MP Suresh Angadi. 

Former minister and Lingayat leader A B Patil was a strong contender for the Congress ticket and there are indications that he could switch over to JD(S) and contest as its candidate. If that happens, Belgaum will see a keen contest. In Belgaum Amarsinh faces opposition from within his own party. Gokak MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi has minced no words while opposing Amarsinh’s candidature.

Congress has three MLAs while BJP has five in the constituency. Suresh Angadi is in a fix now with the Maharastra Ekikarana Samiti (MES) pressing him to hoist the Bhagwa flag atop the Belgaum Municipal Corporation building and making it a pre-condition to support him in the election.

Angadi has incurred the wrath of Pro-Kannada organisations too. The Congress wants to take advantage of the situation and wrest the seat from the BJP. 

Read full story here

Media Coverage of Belgaum on 19-01-2009

Media Coverage of Belgaum on 19-01-2009
Yeddyurappa wants Centre to intervene in border row- Manglorean.comB S Yeddyurappa today demanded the Centre intervene in problems relating to border or language issues arising between States.
Stop atrocities on Marathis in Belgaum: Joshi tells BJP-IndopiaShiv Sena leader and former Chief Minister Manohar Joshi tonight gave an ultimatum to the BJP to mend its ways with regard to the ongoing border issue and stop atrocities on Marathi-speaking people in Belgaum.
Sena activists paint Karnataka buses in saffron – IndopiaShiv Sena workers painted buses bound for the southern state in saffron.
BJP govt 'helps' MES, Shiv Sena gain foothold in Karna: Cong – IndopiaThe Congress in Karnataka today alleged that the BJP Government was&aposhelping&aposthe Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) and Shiv Sena gain a foothold in the state amid inter-state land disputes, as evident from permission granted to the two outfits to hold meetings at Belgaum last week.
Maharashtra CM should take strong stand on boundary dispute’- Zee newsMaharashtra Ekikaran Samiti on Sunday said the five-decade old boundary dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka can be solved only if Chief Minister Ashok Chavan takes a "strong stand" on the issue.