Following the distribution of party ticket, there is discontent in all the three major parties in Kittur, the land of warrior queen Channamma. On Sunday, the Congress high command chose MLA D.B. Inamdar as its nominee. Mr. Inamdar, who had resigned earlier, as he was upset at the delay in the announcement of his name, has decided to withdraw his resignation.
Mr. Inamdar’s relative Babasaheb Patil, who was harbouring ambitions of representing the seat in the Assembly, has announced that he will switch to the Janata Dal(S). He was onsidered a close confidante of Mr. Inamdar. However, in the last few years, he developed political ambitions and wanted the Congress nomination for himself. This was opposed by Mr. Inamdar who did not want to give up.
After the Congress announced the first list of nominees, there were demonstrations by the followers of the two leaders. A group loyal to Mr. Patil staged a protest in Kittur, another group came to the Congress office in Belagavi to threaten mass resignations if Mr. Inamdar was not nominated.
Mr. Inamdar has represented the constituency for six terms since 1972. He lost in 1989, and 2004 and 2008. Mr. Inamdar, an Excise Minister, was among the Young Turks in the Ramakrishna Hegde’s Cabinet in 1983. S.M. Krishna appointed him Minister for Information Technology. Babasaheb Patil hopping to the Janata Dal (S) means that the senior leader and former Union Minister Babagouda Patil will not get ticket.
BJP chose Mahantesh Doddagoudar over the former MLA Suresh Marihal, angering Mr. Marihal’s supporters. Mr. Marihal has expressed discontent and hinted at fighting the polls as a rebel.
