Election hai ! Aisa to nahi Lagta

Any visitor to Belgaum will find to his utter shock and dismay that there are absolutely no signs of elections at all in Belgaum city and several districts around.

On the face of it, it looks as if there is no interest at all in electing nearly 3 legislators 8 days from now. If there are no posters, buntings and banners and propaganda vehicles with blaring loud speakers, it is thanks largely to the Election Commission.

The big brother is so fearsome this time around that all political parties and candidates have meekly gone sub-surface for fear of violating the code that the commission has imposed. So much so, the former prime minister complained the other day that even to take a leak, he and others involved in the election process would have to seek prior permission!
That might be an exaggeration by a whole mile but the fact is that the Election Commission has ensured that this election in Karnataka is, certainly in a physical sense, very clean. It has been so sanitised that the usual indicators one seeks in the run-up to polling are completely missing.
Candidates, who now have to trudge from one door to another instead of raising the decibel level and holding meetings, are as clueless as anyone else on how things are shaping up. So are the political parties and certainly pundits.
The election buzz is missing, not just from the roads of Belgaum, but from the local papers too. Only 8 days more for Belgaum to go to polls, but it seems like elections is just another news for an otherwise busy city.
People tried other ways to woe the voters, in the same act Abhay Patil who had given a meal saying it was a wedding feast was arrested and then later released on bail.
With inputs from http://economictimes.indiatimes.com

Your Blog is now on new platform and new address BELGAUMBLOG.COM

http://belgaumblog.com
Yes your blog is now on world class platform and now is also a .com.
Now worries of typing that belgaumblog.blogspot.com

http://belgaumblog.com will land you with all the information you needed to know about Belgaum. I have just upgraded to the new platform and it might take a few more days for me setup the whole thing in a proper manner. Some new features and pages will also be there.
The old belgaumblog.blogspot.com will continue to be as it is with fresh updates.

So go reading and remember you belgaumblog is now just belgaumblog.com

Now Belgaum South will also have a nice fight

Deepak Dalvi the rebel MES candidate yesterday withdrew from the race and now will support the official candidate of the MES, Kiran Saynak.

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

BADAVANCHE LAXMAN BHARMA Age 65 eldest in north
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

Understanding the Political Game:
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

The final list of candidates aspiring to become MLA for all the Belgaum is below.
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).

Belgaum Woman ready to become ETV SUPER WOMAN

Mrs.Anupama Joshi who took part in the reality show of ETV Marathi is now amongst the finalists.

Stars of Belgaum: Lakshmi Rai in Tamil, Kannada & Malyalam Films

Lakshmi Rai was born in Bangalore and was brought up at Belgaum, Her dad was into business her mother is a homemaker. she was the youngest of the three daughters to her parents. she did her studies at Belgaum and was indulged in either modeling, dancing right from my high school days. She tried hard and got the ‘Miss Belgaum’ title for 2 years from 2002 to 2004 .

Dr.Shrinivas Thanedar: CEO Chemir Analytical Services Inc. USA.: Star of Belgaum

Dr.Shrinivas Thanedar tests his way to $16 million. Chief executive, Chemir Analytical Services Inc. USA.
Another Belgaum Star for you.

Thanedar, 51, is chief executive of Chemir Analytical Services Inc., a Maryland Heights company that provides chemical testing and analysis services. He bought the company in 1999 for about $75,000 when it had only two employees and annual revenue of about $150,000. Today, Chemir Analytical employs about 120 people and projects revenue of about $16 million this year.

History: Founded in 1959, Chemir was purchased in 1990 by Dr. Shri Thanedar or who developed it into an independent testing laboratory. Having since developed a national reputation as experts in deformulation, Chemir scientists have helped over 6,000 clients solve challenging industrial problems with chemical analysis, consulting and litigation support. Distinction: Chemir is committed to the betterment of the St. Louis community. It has been an annual sponsor of the Susan G. Koman Breast Cancer Foundation, is a long-time supporter of the Salvation Army and, this year, through an internal fund-raising drive, Chemir and its employees, donated almost $2,000 to emergency hurricane relief. It also sponsors various activities and athletics at several local school districts.

About Shrinivas Thanedar: Dr.Thanedar has never forgotten the poverty he endured while growing up in India. Those memories, he said, propelled him to become a successful entrepreneur in America.

Thanedar grew up in Belgaum, a small town in southern India, the firstborn in a family with six children. "We were very, very poor. We struggled a lot."
Thanedar's parents encouraged him to study hard and made sure he enrolled in India's public elementary school, high school and universities -- where he earned a bachelor's and a master's in chemistry.

He scored a meagre 55% marks in his SSLC. He had got a job at the age of 18 itslef in the state bank of India in Bijapur. He wanted to do his MSc. but the princiapl of the Dharwad did not allow him to do so. He had to go upto the Vice Chancellor for the same and atlast he got the permission. But the bank denied him leave for his exams for 15 days and he dedcided to leave from Bijapur and came to Dharwad for his exams. He slept for only one hour for 8 days and finished his studies. Even before his exams got over he got to know that he had been fired out of his job from the bank.

But the pains he took paid off, he got a first class in M.Sc and he got an intyerview call from the Bhaba Atomic research centre Mumbai. On the way to the interview he fell in dicth and all his clothes were dirty. He went to the interview in the same way and as a cartoon he gave his interview and got selcted. All his relatives and frineds said, see this mad man; he his leaving his bank job for this hardship.

He had to finish his M.Sc but the first year done in Dharwad was not to be counted in BARC. SO he did the 2 years of M.Sc without anybodys knoweldge as his Principal there Mr.Soman did not give him permission.
After finishing his MSc he applied for higher studies in America. But Mr.Soman denied to sign on his passport. The American consulate denied him visa for 6 times, he got the visa when Mrs.Virginia from the consulate had been on leave and thus he stood on the soil of America.

Thanedar came to the United States in 1979 to study for a doctorate in chemistry at the University of Akron in Ohio. He also did post-doctoral work at the University of Michigan before coming to St. Louis in 1984, to take a job as a researcher at the former Petrolite Corp. in Webster Groves.

But he wanted to work for himself and not for others. He strived hard to buy the loss making J Chemir company. Atlast he bought it and took it out of loss and now has similar 6 other companies which were making loss and now are making huge profits.

He says “I am not in th Business, I am on the Business.”
Thanedar said his late mother, Sulochana Thanedar, was his greatest inspiration and pushed him to use education as a means to escape the brutal life of poverty. "She taught me how to deal with problems." Thanedar said he considered coming to the United States as the biggest opportunity he ever got to better his life. He wasn't quite sure how he would achieve that goal, but he said he had big dreams and was determined to start his own business. "Because I had suffered so much (in India), I always said to myself that one day I will be very successful." The opportunity for Thanedar arose in 1990 when Clara Craver, a scientist and founder of what was then known as Chemir/Polytech Laboratories Inc., offered to sell him the company for $75,000. He financed the acquisition by taking a loan from a local bank. Since 1990, Chemir has grown tremendously, mainly by acquisitions that Thanedar engineered. The company's latest purchase was 2004 when the company bought PRA Laboratories of Ypsilanti, Mich., which provided research and development services to the paints and coatings industry. Bill Chionio, president of Business Owners International, a local business consulting organization, said one of Thanedar's biggest strengths as an entrepreneur is his ability to learn new things quickly and his willingness to delegate authority to his managers. "I consider him one of the finest business people I've ever met, but he has always remained humble. When one has money, when one has power, they have a way of inflating their egos. Shri has never done that." Thanedar lives in Ladue with his sons, Neil and Samir, and his wife, Shashi.

'No' to merger with M'rashtra

Source: Deccan Herald
Ever since the reorganisation of Indian states in 1956, Karnataka's border dispute with Maharashtra over parts of Belgaum district, has been rearing its head at regular frequency. How do voters in the state respond to this issue?

Respondents to a survey were asked if they had heard about the dispute. Those who replied in the affirmative were further asked whether the demand to merge the areas claimed to be Marathi-speaking with Maharashtra was in any way justified or was unjustified. Across the state, less than half the respondents had heard about the border dispute with Maharashtra. The level of awareness about this dispute was expectedly much higher in the Mumbai-Karnataka region. Respondents in the Coastal Karnataka region too were more aware of the existence of a border row. In the Hyderabad-Karnataka region there was greater awareness of the issue as compared to those in Central Karnataka, Southern Karnataka and Bangalore. The survey was conducted in six of the 18 constituencies in Belgaum district. Not surprisingly, the level of awareness about the border dispute was much higher in Belgaum district with nearly two-thirds of the respondents claiming to be aware of the issue.

It was noted that more than two-thirds of those who took a stand on the issue felt that it was unjustified to demand for the merger of what is termed as the Marathi-speaking regions with Maharashtra Among those who said that the demand was not correct, an overwhelmingly large percentage of them said that the demand was totally unjustified. It is important to record that in the Belgaum district too, nearly 60 per cent of those who took a stand on the issue said that the demand was unjustified. Here too, a significantly large proportion opined that merging the so-called Marathi regions with Maharashtra was unjustified.

Fierce contest likely in Belgaum North

Source: The Hindu
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.

MES Splits

The unhappy faction of the MES(Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti) has filed in papers of R Pawale as their candidate for the Belgaum North. The MES had officially declared Vijay More as its candidate from North. In my earlier post the report of attacking the Kiran Thakur by the same group was also published.

More’s nomination angers MES workers in Belgaum

Dalvi’s supporters throw stones at residence of Kiran Thakur
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.

Kore may quit active politics

Senior Congress leader and former MP Prabhakar B. Kore, who belongs to the dominant Lingayat community, is “seriously” considering saying “goodbye” to active politics to devote his time to “social service,” thanks to Congress’s denial of party ticket to him.

Mr. Kore’s decision comes even as State Janata Dal (Secular) vice-president Umesh V. Katti claimed on Wednesday that the former was about to join his party.
Mr. Koreappears to be not just upset but “hurt” after allegedly getting a raw deal at the hands of party leadership.

He was in New Delhi for a few days recently and did everything possible to get party ticket to contest from Chikkodi-Sadalga. But, the party favoured his arch rival Prakash B. Hukkeri. Mr. Hukkeri filed his nomination papers as Congress candidate on Wednesday.
Mr. Kore was keen to contest from Chikkodi-Sadalga in the light of the constituency being left open for “General” category. Hitherto, Chikkodi was reserved for Scheduled Castes. Following redrawing of areas under the latest delimitation exercise, areas of Chikkodi and Sadalga have been merged to form new Chikkodi-Sadalga constituency.
In a brief chat with The Hindu here on Wednesday, Mr. Kore said he was disgusted with the present order of politics. When his attention was drawn to the claims of Mr. Katti and reports in the media, he said: “I want to quit politics, leave alone joining the Janata Dal (Secular), the BJP or any other party.”

AICC leader responsible for Kudachi being denied ticket?

Source The Hindu:
Vijaykumar Patil
Kudachi defeated MES candidates in 1999 and 2004
He has joined JD(S) and is contesting in the same segment

Even as some tend to point figures at senior Congress leader and former Minister A.B. Patil for the Congress having denied ticket to two-time MLA Ramesh L. Kudachi to contest from Belgaum North, there is none to unravel the hidden faces behind the development.

Sources close to Mr. Kudachi told The Hindu here on Wednesday that a senior leader in the All India Congress Committee (AICC) from Maharashtra had deliberately denied ticket to the former to help the MES in Belgaum North. The sources said that the AICC leader had personally told Mr. Kudachi not to insist on ticket this time.
The MES, which was defeated twice by Mr. Kudachi in the 1999 and 2004 Assembly elections, is trying hard to re-capture its lost bastion. But, it would have been difficult for the MES to have its candidate elected as long as Mr. Kudachi continued to contest as Congress candidate. Therefore, the MES was keen to see that Mr. Kudachi did not get party ticket and therefore, took the help of the AICC leader from Maharashtra.

Mr. Kudachi, who quit the Congress after being denied ticket and joined the Janata Dal(S) on Wednesday, is all set to contest from Belgaum North as the latter’s candidate. He took the decision not in a haste but after being convinced that there was no justice in the Congress, which was not prepared to honour his services and contribution. He said it was under his leadership that the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samithi was shown the door for the first time in the 1999 Assembly elections and again in 2004. This was history in its own right as Belgaum city had been an impregnable fortress of the MES or the Marathi-speaking community since the 1957 elections.

He was also confident of being elected for the third time, which meant a precious seat for Congress which is hoping to form the government on its own in the State. But the leaders in the party were not prepared to do justice to his services, he alleged.
He, however, also maintained that the AICC leader from Maharashtra was fully responsible for denying him ticket only to please the MES. But in the process he [AICC leader] did not realise that the Congress could lose one precious seat, he said.