Prestige for BJP, challenge for coalition partners

Election fever has gripped Kodagu district, with the three urban local bodies - Somwarpet, Virajpet and Kushalnagar Town Panchayats - going for polls on October 28.

All the three major political parties are engaged in campaigning for their candidates. The election is a prestige for BJP and a challenge for JD(S)-Congress alliance at two urban local bodies.

Madikeri and Virajpet Legislative Assembly constituencies are represented by BJP MLAs (Appacchu Ranjan and K G Bopaiah). Sunil Subramani of the BJP represents local bodies in the Legislative Council. Though Congress has Veena Acchaiah as an MLC, she was not directly elected by the people. She was nominated to the Council.

The Zilla Panchayat is also in the hands of the BJP. Even the primary cooperative societies’ seats are won by the BJP supported members.

The Somwarpet Town Panchayat has 11 wards. In the last election, the BJP had won six seats, Congress four and independent one seats. The BJP was successful in coming to the power. Now, the BJP has fielded its candidates in all the 11 wards while the Congress has fielded in six wards and JD(S) from five wards.

The Congress and JD(S) have entered into a pre-poll alliance in Virajpet Town Panchayat. The local body had 16 wards in the past. But not, it has 18 wards now.

In the last election, BJP had won nine seats while JD(S) four, Congress two and independent one seat. Now, the pre-poll alliance has become a challenge for the BJP which has fielded its candidates in all the wards.

There are 13 wards in Kushalanagar. However, all the three major political parties are contesting independently. In the last election, BJP had won six seats, Congress four and JD(S) three wards. Now, the number of wards has increased to 16.