Elections to the Belagavi City Corporation council, being fought on party ticket for the first time, have turned on the heat among political parties, candidates and their supporters. Polling is scheduled on September 3.
As many as 519 candidates have filed nomination papers for the 58 wards in the city, an average of nine nominees per ward.
No party, however, has been able to field candidates in every ward. While the BJP chose 58 candidates, it could not get the symbol in two wards due to delay on the part of the party to submit the requisite documents. Now, the BJP has 56 candidates, the Congress has 49, the AAP has 28, the Janata Dal(S) 12 and the AIMIM has fielded its nominees in six wards.
Independents form the highest number of candidates at 364. The Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti does not have a fixed symbol as it is not a recognised party. Its nominees file nomination papers as independents.
There were some disappointed candidates in the BJP and the Congress. Some women members who were denied ticket went to the office of MP Mangala Angadi and expressed their displeasure. They vowed to write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party leaders Amit Shah and J.P. Nadda that local leaders had given ticket to some who were not even primary members of the BJP.
Minister Umesh Katti and Member of Legislative Assembly Abhay Patil played down the discontent saying that it was natural before any election. “However, we are talking to all those who are not very happy and making them work for the official candidates,’’ he said.
KPCC working president Satish Jarkiholi said that the Congress will sweep the polls. He admitted that there was some discontent among some local leaders who could not get ticket in their preferred wards. “But that is normal in a democracy. We will work to bring all of them together,” he said.
The police took out a route march in some vulnerable areas on Tuesday, as a confidence building measure among the residents. A team led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Vikram Amathe led the route march in the old city area from Chavat Galli to Kacheri Road. There are 47 vulnerable areas in the city. They will be covered in due course, he said.
Meanwhile, District Electoral Officer and Deputy Commissioner M.G. Hiremath said that polling will end by 6 p.m. as polling hours have been extended by an hour. This applies to the corporation and the vacant wards of Raibag and Saundatti Yallamma.
Two senior officers have been appointed as observers for the polls.
Special Deputy Commissioner Geeta Koulagi has been appointed as observer for wards 1-29. Her mobile number is 9448933533. Joint Director of Agriculture Jilani Mokashi has been appointed as observer for wards 30-58. His mobile number is 8277934042.
