Political activities have gained momentum for the byelections to the Basavakalyan Legislative Assembly constituency where polling is scheduled on April 17 while counting of votes will take place on May 2.
The last date for filing nomination papers is March 30. Scrutiny will be taken up on March 31 and the last date for withdrawal of nomination paper is April 3. The Assembly seat fell vacant due to the COVID-19 death of legislator B. Narayan Rao on September 24, 2020.
Political activities in Basavakalyan gathered momentum following the announcement of candidates by the major political parties.
The Congress has fielded Mallamma Narayan Rao, apparently in an effort to get sympathy votes following the death of Narayan Rao who represented the constituency since 2018 as party legislator. The Congress leaders are working hard to capture the seat in the byelection.
Syed Yasrab Ali Quadri, who has been picked by the Janata Dal (Secular) for the seat, recently left the Congress to join it.
Springing a surprise and ending days of speculation on the choice of candidate for the bypolls, the ruling BJP on Thursday announced the selection of its candidate, Sharanabasappa Salgar, a political greenhorn and outsider [a resident of Kalaburagi district], for the seat.
The choice of Sharanbasappa Salgar even surprised BJP local leaders as well as political observers as the party was expected to field a bigwig. The names of two-time former legislator Mallikarjun Khuba and BJP State vice-president and son of Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa B.Y. Vijayendra were names doing the rounds in BJP circles.
However, now all the three contestants are first-timers.
In the last 11 Assembly elections in Basavakalyan, the Janata Dal (Secular) won thrice in 1999, 2004, and 2013 elections.
Basavaraj Patil Atoor emerged victorious on Janata Dal ticket in 1994 and 1989 and once on BJP ticket in the 2008 elections. The Congress won it twice in 1972 and 2018.
BJP aspirants protest
Meanwhile, BJP aspirants, who were trying to get ticket for the byelections from the segment, were furious after they learnt that all of them were sidelined in favour of an outsider, Sharanabasappa Salgar.
As many as 16 aspirants who were denied ticket and their supporters and local BJP workers staged a protest in the city and Bidar MP Bhagwant Khuba’s effigy was hit with footwear before it was set on fire on Friday.
The BJP workers along with disappointed aspirants held a meeting and took a pledge to not vote for the BJP in the upcoming bypolls.
