Panchayat polls: Congress, BJP announce candidates

The Dakshina Kannada BJP unit has announced the names of 31 candidates, including the name of former MLA K Padmanabha Kottari, for the zilla panchayat election to be held February 20. The Dakshina Kannada zilla panchayat has 36 seats.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, the district BJP unit President Prathapsimha Nayak said the candidates for five constituencies in zilla panchayat and 10 (taluk panchayat) constituencies (136 constituencies in total) will be finalised within a day or two.

Four sitting members — Janardhan Gowda (Edapadavu), Shailaja K T Bhat (Mani), Koragappa Naik (Dharmasthala) and Asha Thimmappa Gowda (Guthigaru) will contest again to try their luck. While Sucharitha Shetty (Puthige), M Thungappa Bangera (Sangabettu), K Padmanabha Kottari (Sajipamunnooru), Shayana Jayanand (Uppinangady), Krishna Shetty (Kadaba) and Jayasri Kodandoor (Punacha) have served as the zilla panchayat members in the past.

Kottari was the lone BJP member in the 35-member Zilla Panchayat in 2000. He was elected from Golthamajalu constituency. Later, Kottari was elected to the Legislative Assembly from the erstwhile Vittla constituency in 2004.

Cong list on Friday
District Congress Committee in-charge President Kodichal Ibrahim said the candidates for the zilla and taluk panchayat elections will be finalised in a meeting of ministers, MLAs and Congress leaders on Friday.

Briefing media persons here on Tuesday, he said the aspirants to contest the election have already submitted their applications. “The meeting on Friday will discuss and finalise the candidates for all the constituencies. While finalising the candidates, the party will look at the experience, possibility of winning in a constituency, and those who do not have any poor conduct,” he said.

The Congress will give preference to candidates hailing from all caste, religion and community. The party had a upper hand in the recently concluded urban local body election in different parts of the country. It will have an upper hand in the zilla and taluk panchayat elections too. The Congress will seek votes based on the achievement of the Congress-led State government under the leadership of Siddaramaiah.

The Congress will hold a mega convention in Mysuru on February 6. About 2,000 Congress workers from Dakshina Kannada district will take part in the convention. The convention aims at creating awareness on the failure of Modi-led NDA government and highlighting the achievements of the Congress government.

Stating that Modi has been enlightened over the success of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) now, he said that Modi who came to power on providing ‘acche din’ to the citizens, has failed to do good to the people. The government has been successful in helping the corporate sector, he criticised.