Dynastic politics reigns in Muslim dominated NR constituency

Sait family has the credit of winning 10 out of 13 polls

 Dynastic politics is synonymous to most political parties with legislators from the same families being elected to the Legislative Assembly umpteen number of times.

In Mysore too, it is no exception, especially at Narasimharaja Assembly constituency, where three legislators from the same family have represented the seat in the lower house.

The Sait family has had the privilege of getting elected 10 times out of the total 13 Assembly elections held till 2008. Tanveer Sait, the incumbent legislator for a hat-trick period (including the victory in by elections necessitated after his father Azeez Sait’s death in 1999), is contesting for the fourth consecutive term.

First in the family to test the electoral waters was A Mohammad Sait, uncle of Azeez Sait who successfully contested as an Independent in the second Assembly elections in 1957 from Mysore city North (which later became Narasimharaja) constituency.

Ten years later, Azeez Sait contested on the Rammanohar Lohia’s Samaj Socialist Party (SSP) ticket in the elections held in 1967. He tasted victory by a margin of 3,000 votes trouncing B K Puttaiah of Praja Socialist Party (PSP).

In the subsequent elections too (72 and 78) Azeez Sait won, but on Congress ticket. In 1983, he contested on a Janata Paksha (JNP) ticket and also retained the seat, defeating Congress nominee R Q Arshad by a margin of 9,064 votes.

Arshad is the father of Rizwan Arshad, president, Karnataka Pradesh Youth Congress Committee (KPYCC). Incidentally, Arshad junior had upped the ante by demanding a ticket from the constituency this time, but to no avail.

In the elections of 1985, Muktharunnisa Begum was elected on a Congress ticket. It was also the year E Maruthirao Pawar jumped into the fray on BJP ticket, only to suffer defeat. Azeez Sait made a comeback as Congress nominee in 1989 and trounced Pawar again.

However, victory eluded Sait in the elections of 1994, as he lost to Pawar, by a wafer thin margin of 1,451 votes. What worked in favour of Pawar was the delay in Sait getting Congress party ‘B’ form to authenticate his candidature. Sait eventually contested as an independent.

Winning

Though Sait returned with a bang winning the elections of 1999 by a huge margin of 13,969 votes. He however died the same year, paving way for the by elections. Lady luck favoured the family again with Azeez Sait’s son Tanveer Sait foraying into the Assembly, winning the by elections. The Muslim dominated constituency has been electing the Sait family time and again. Of the total electorate of 2.21 lakh, the population of Muslim voters is 62,000; followed by SC/ST- 32,000; Vokkaligas between 25,000 and 26,000; Lingayats - 15,000; Kurubas - 14,000; Christians - 12,000; Marathas - 8,000.