Congress likely to field Maratha candidate Anjali Nimbalkar from Belagavi LS seat

TNN

November 26, 2018

Dharwad, Nov 26: Desperate to increase its tally in Lok Sabha from Karnataka and to recapture the seat from BJP in Belagaviconstituency, the Congress is considering fielding Khanapur MLA Anjali Nimbalkar as its candidate in the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Belagavi.

Highly placed sources said the Congress had decided to field a Maratha candidate from Belagavi and Anjali is the lone person fitting the bill. “She is the top priority now,” said a senior leader.

Belagavi constituency had been the bastion of Congress from 1977 to 1989 as its candidates A K Kotrashetti (1977), S B Sidnal (1980, 1984, 1989 and 1991) winning the seat. It was Shivanand Koujalgi of Janata Dal who wrested the seat from Congress in 1996. He had defeated Babagouda Patil of BJP pushing the Congress to the third place. Babagouda (BJP) had won in 1998 but lost to Amarsinh Patil of Congress in 1999.

The BJP tasted success again in 2004 as its candidate Suresh Angadi won against Amarsinh Patil. He has been winning since then. The Congress had fielded Laxmi Hebbalkar against Angadi in 2014, but she failed to wrest the seat for the party.

It may be recalled here that Chikkodi Lok Sabha constituency in Belagavi district had the rare distinction of sending one person - B Shankaranand - seven times in a row to the Parliament. A Congress nominee, Shankaranand had won the seat in 1967, 1971, 1977, 1980, 1984, 1989 and 1991.

It took a woman candidate to end the winning streak of the Congress strongman. Ratnamala Savanur of Janata Dal defeated Shankaranand in 1996 by a margin of 1,12,759 votes. Shankaranand again suffered defeat at the hands of Ramesh Jigajinagi of Lok Shakti in 1998 by a margin of 1,31,238 votes. Jigajinagi later changed over to JD(U) and won against Shankaranand’s son Pradeep Kanagali in 1999 and again in 2004 as BJP candidate against Shyam Ghatage of Congress.

Taking cue from the Chikkodi experiment, the Congress is planning to field a woman candidate who is also a Maratha and Anjali Nimbalkar fits the frame, said the senior leader. “She has been asked to be ready,” the leader said.

Anjali Nimbalkar, a doctor by profession, is representing Khanapur constituency in the assembly. Khanapur, though in Belagavi district, comes under Uttara Kannada Lok Sabha constituency. She had won the assembly poll against Vithal Halagekar of BJP by a margin of 9,377 votes. In 2013, she lost to Arvind Patil of BJP by a margin of 19,000 votes.

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JD(S) leader G T Devegowda backs CM Siddaramaiah in MUDA row, taunts HDK

News Network

October 4,2024

Mysuru: Chairman of JD(S) core committee and Chamundeshwari constituency MLA G T Devegowda on Thursday expressed his solidarity with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah saying the latter need not resign, while lambasting leaders of his own party and alliance partner BJP, including Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy.

In his speech during Mysuru Dasara inauguration he said that if persons against whom FIR is registered have to resign, many leaders from all the three parties, including Opposition Leader R Ashoka, will have to resign.

“All are sitting in glass houses... Since I know Siddaramaiah well, I am talking about him. At a time when mines and real estate are ruling politics, Siddaramaiah has survived in politics. He has never done any favour,” Devegowda said.

He added, “Allegations against Siddaramaiah are unexpected and accidental. If the Governor and Chief Justice order an investigation, it does not mean that he should resign."

He continued, asking, "Have they told Siddaramaiah to resign or have they asked to imprison him? When a person becomes a Central minister, he or she should realise their dignity and responsibility. Instead of recognising the good work done by Siddaramaiah, they ask him to resign. Will Kumarswamy (facing an FIR) resign? Should Siddaramaiah, who has become CM with a support of 135 MLAs, resign?"

"Opposition leaders are not remembering the good work of earlier CMs Kengal Hanumanthaiah, Veerendra Patil, Ramakrishna Hegde, H D Deve Gowda or S M Krishna. Karnataka is a model state. It is a bad trend to topple an elected government which is doing good work,” he further said.

Devegowda added, “Siddaramaiah is Goddess Chamundeshwari’s ‘Varaputra’ and hence has her blessings during tough times. He won the election in Chamundeshwari Assembly constituency, when the BJP-JD(S) government was in power in 2006. With the blessings of the Goddess, he has held varied positions right from becoming an MLA for the first time in 1983. He presented 15 budgets and has become CM for a second time. He took H C Mahadevappa, a Dalit leader to the state level. Siddaramaiah has the support of Deputy CM D K Shivakumar as ‘Jodeththu’. Blessings of the beneficiaries of guarantee schemes are with him (Siddaramaiah).”

Siddaramaiah said, “Devegowda was a MUDA member. He knows the truth. Hence, he is saying this. His words have filled strength in me. ‘Satyameva Jayate’, Truth will always triumph.”

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