Red surge in local bodies catches others off-guard

The party captures power in Chikkaballapur ZP and Bagepalli TP

The party has bagged the post of Chikkaballapur zilla panchayat vice-president and the posts of both president and vice-president of Bagepalli taluk panchayat.

B Savithramma has been chosen as the Chikkaballapur zilla panchayat vice-president. Shobharani and Gowramma have been elected president and vice president of the Bagepalli taluk panchayat.

It is also worth noting that all three elected have contested the elections for the first time. The party has also one more member in the ZP.

The CPM won eight of the 15 Taluk Panchayat seats in Bagepalli and five of the 11 seats in Gudibande. The party discouraged lobbying for the posts of presidents and vice-presidents. The party was austere in election spending too.

Although it failed to win a single seat in any of the other zilla panchayats in the State, the CPM is hoping to bring about significant changes in the zilla panchayat administration in Chikkaballapur.

The struggle

Speaking to Deccan Herald, CPM leader and former legislator G V Srirama Reddy said the party’s fight in the district began around 1952, when they undertook protests in Bagepalli and Chintamani taluks against the Jodidar system (one landlord exercising control over 10 to 20 villages).

“Incessant struggle during the term of the then chief minister S Bangarappa forced the authorities to bring out a legislation to legalise ownership of land. I was then the chairman of the Implementing Committee and ensured that about 14,000 families got land. Each family got about five acres,” he said.

Such affirmative action and measures for the welfare of the people proved to be the secret behind the party’s victory in the zilla and taluk panchayat elections, he reasoned.

People responsive

The senior leader added that people responded positively and joined every fight struggle the CPM launched.

“Despite winning seats in the panchayats frequently, we had not been able to get influential posts. This time, however, three women have won important posts. The party has thereby stabilised its hold over local politics further and will now influence the functioning of the zilla and taluk panchayats,” said Reddy.

All three winners from the party, B Savithramma, Shobharani and Gowramma said that the people had firm faith that the CPM will not change stance in its fight for justice. “This is why they have elected us. We will try our level best to live up to their expectations.”