High-voltage Kannada Sahitya Parishat poll sees proxy support of netas

The 106-year-old Kannada Sahitya Parishat’s presidential election has turned akin to any regular poll with candidates seeking the backing of political parties and allegations of distribution of freebies to voters.

The BJP and its ideological parent RSS are also believed to be showing a keen interest in the November 21 election of the Parishat, the premier representative body of Kannada-speaking people, as part of their expansionist strategy to gain visibility in the cultural arena.

Recently, BJP’s Gangavathi legislator Paranna Munavalli stated that his party had directed all its leaders to back presidential candidate Mahesh Joshi, a former Doordarshan additional director general. However, the BJP has officially distanced itself from his statement.

Speaking to DH, BJP national general secretary C T Ravi said the party had not taken any official decision to back any candidate in the Parishat polls. “There is no scope for political parties to back candidates in these polls. Just because some party-affiliated people are backing him doesn’t mean the party itself has taken such a stand,” he said.

However, one RSS leader said, “There is no official decision, but Joshi has our support.”

Joshi said as a person with more than three decades of experience in the media, he was familiar with several leaders. “I have support from JD(S) leaders and Congress leaders, too. I’m personally not associated with any political party.”

Joshi is one of the 21 candidates running for the president’s office in the Parishat.

Several candidates were seeking the support of political parties, according to those in the fray. C K Rame Gowda, another candidate said, “Political parties are not officially supporting anyone. Some candidates are seeking their support in the hope of gaining additional votes.”

The Kannada Sahitya Parishat presidential election is open to all Parishat members. There are about three lakh voters.

Meanwhile, allegations have also surfaced about the distribution of freebies.

Sudheendra Rao, a candidate, claimed that freebies, such as silverware and suitcases, were being distributed. “Tens of lakhs of rupees are being spent by some candidates. The Parishat election has become like any other elections,” he rued.

Some of them have complained to the authorities concerned with photos of the goodies. Rao recently “retired” from the contest, announcing his support to the lone woman candidate Saraswathi Chummalagi.

S T Mohan Raju, special election officer, Kannada Sahitya Parishat, said some people had approached them with allegations and they cannot be considered as official complaints due to lack of substantiation.

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