In a contest that was keenly fought within and outside the party, Congress member Bharatbai Mallinath Sherikar was elected president and Prakash Patil, also of the Congress, vice-president of the Bidar Zilla Panchayat here on Monday. The panchayat president’s post was reserved for Scheduled Tribes (Woman), while the vice-president’s post was unreserved.
Ms. Sherikar defeated Nirmalabai Manthala and Mr. Patil Anil Gundappa, both losers from the BJP.
The winners collected 22 votes against the 12 bagged by the BJP contenders.
The House of 34 members has 19 Congress members, 11 BJP, three Janata Dal(S) and one Independent member. Three Janata Dal(S) members supported the Congress that already had a simple majority in the House, while the lone Independent supported the BJP.
With this, Bidar joins the list of zilla panchayats headed by alliances between the Congress and Janata Dal(S).
Ms. Sherikar, who represents Kodambal constituency, has been elected twice to the rural local body. She will enjoy the privileges of a Minister of State for five years. She is widely seen to enjoy the support of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Mr. Patil, who has a doctoral degree in agriculture, is a successful flower cultivator from Ghat Boral village in Humnabad taluk. He is known to be a long-time supporter of the former Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh. Both Ms. Sherikar and Mr. Patil represent constituencies in Humnabad taluk.
After the categories for the panchayat polls were announced, the contest narrowed down to Geetha Pandit Chidri, wife of Pandit Chidri, chairman of the Karnataka State Sheep and Wool Development Corporation, and Ms. Sherikar.
Lobbying for the post of the panchayat president created differences between the Kuruba Gonda Sangha members, some of whom sided with Mr. Chidri, and the others with the former zilla panchayat member Amrit Chimkod was supporting Ms. Sherikar. While some in the Congress say that the two would share power as per an internal agreement, others deny it. Ms. Chidri said that there was a power-sharing agreement between the two, but Ms. Sherikar denied it.
Ms. Sherikar emerged the winner within the party after Congress observers Allamprabhu Patil and Minister Umashree came to a conclusion by Sunday evening. This was communicated to all members before they cast their votes.
Amlan Aditya Biswas, Regional Commissioner, announced the winners.
