Legislative Council polls: Parties undecided on candidates

The people are curious as to whom the political parties will field for one seat in the Legislative Council election from local authorities constituencies.

BJP, Congress and JD(S) leaders have not yet announced the name of their candidates.

With BJP having a majority in local bodies, the party is struggling to field a suitable candidate. There are more than 10 ticket aspirants within the party.

There are even discussions on whether sitting MLC M P Sunil Subramani will be fielded again by the BJP.

Sunil's brother Suja Kushalappa and the Western Ghats Task Force chairman Ravi Kushalappa are also strong contenders for the ticket.

As a result, the high command is considering as to whom it should issue the ticket.

It is said that Suja Kushalappa could not contest the election during the previous term owing to legal hurdles. However, this time, he has been demanding the ticket to contest elections.

MLC Sunil Subramani has reportedly told his close aide that he has been listening to the party all these years. He will contest again if given an opportunity.

In case the ticket is issued to Sunil or Suja Kushalappa, then the BJP will face allegations of family politics as well. Both are the brothers of sitting Madikeri MLA M P Appachu Ranjan. In addition, Sunil is already an MLC now.

On the other hand, former minister A Manju’s son and Hassan Zilla Panchayat former member Manthar Gowda is also an aspirant for the ticket. However, the local Congress leaders have demanded the ticket to a local candidate from the district.

In a meeting held on Tuesday at the DCC office, the leaders have decided to urge the high command to issue a ticket to Somwarpet Block Congress former president K M Lokesh. Lokesh in the past had contested the Assembly election from Madikeri and lost the election.

“The DCC has decided to urge the high command to issue the ticket to a local candidate,” said a leader who had attended the meeting.

The notification for the Legislative Council election was issued on Tuesday.

Though JD(S) has no strong base in the district, leaders are confident of fielding a candidate in the election.

Voters

There are 1,334 voters in the district. This includes 23 members of Madikeri City Municipal Council, 18 in Virajpet Town Panchayat, 11 in Somwarpet Town Panchayat, 16 in Kushalnagar Town Panchayat, 295 in Gram Panchayats in Madikeri taluk, 482 in Gram Panchayats in Virajpet taluk and 483 in Gram Panchayats in Somwarpet.

The members of local bodies are eligible to cast their preferential vote in the election. As Zilla Panchayats and Taluk Panchayats have no elected body, there are no voters from ZP and TPs in the district.

JD(S) district unit president K M B Ganesh said, "Our candidate will win the election. We have 150 JD(S) supported members from local bodies. We will work out strategies for the victory of the JD(S)candidate."

DCC working president Dharmaja Uthappa said that a Congress meeting will be held to decide on the candidature.