The urban body election is significant in Chikkaballapur with many candidates contesting for the posts of the first president and the vice president of the newly formed Chikkaballapur district.

After the announcement of the date for election, i.e. on September 14, the election scene has hotted up and there seems to be stiff competition for the president’s post.

There are 27 members in the Zilla Panchayat and of them 20 members from Congress and seven from JD(S).
As the Congress holds majority, both the posts will go to the candidates of this party. Hence, the JD(S) members have not much ado about the election.

Within the Congress party, names of four contestants are heard: Srinivas of Gowribidanur, Chikkanarasimhaiah alias Chinni of Bagepalli taluk, Potalareddy of Gudibande and Srinivasareddy of Chintamani.

Support
Gowribidanur Srinivas, son of former president of the Congress district unit, is supported by K H Muniyappa in his contest for the president’s post.

However the member of parliament R L Jalappa is supporting his close associate Bagepalli Chikkanarasimhaiah.
Srinivasareddy of Chintamani taluk is supported by the legislator Srinivasagowda who has taken this election as a prestige issue, according to his close sources.

Potalareddy of Gudibande is also leaving no stone unturned to influence the senior leaders, to win the president’s post.

According to the sources, during the Congress senior leaders’ meeting on Wednesday in Bangalore, no final decision was taken on this issue. It was said one more meeting was held in Bangalore on Thursday also.
According some other sources, R L Jalappa’s candidate Chikkanarasimhaiah is likely to get the president’s post while Gowribidanur Srinivas or Srinivasareddy of may become the vice-president.