Belagavi: As the countdown for upcoming election to Legislative council from local bodies in Belagavi begins, several top leaders are working out strategies to win even before getting their party ticket.
Sitting MLC Veerkumar Patil, Vivekrao Patil and Laxmi Hebbalkar are among the favourites to get Congress ticket while one of the sitting MLC Mahantesh Kavatgimath and former MP Ramesh Katti are certain to be in fray from BJP.
Even before the Congress party finalises its candidate, Jarkiholi brothers and Katti brothers, two powerful political families from Belagavi are said to be planning a surprise strategy to ensure victory of Vivekrao Patil. Son of former minister V L Patil, Vivekrao was able to become president of Belagavi unit of KMF recently with the support of Jarkiholis. According to sources, Satish Jarkiholi who is keen to help Vivekrao win the coming election, recently held a meeting with Ramesh Katti of BJP to discuss on how to make it possible.
Both Kattis and Jarkiholis, sources said, have decided to rally behind Vivekrao even if the Congress party deprives him of the ticket. He is expected to contest as an Independent with the backing of both the powerful political families. However, leaders of Congress party in Belagavi are divided on whether to support Veerkumar Patil or Vivekrao Patil even as both the leaders are leaving no stone unturned to bag the party form.
Last time, Veerkumar Patil and Kavatgimath won the election with the united support of their respective party leaders. Jarkiholis worked hard to get Veerkumar Patil elected last time while Kavatgimath also had the support of all his BJP leaders. President of State Congress Women's Cell, Hebbalkar is expected to be in the fray if Congress fields a young and new face. But sources close to her said she is still undecided on whether to contest the polls as she is keen on contesting the next assembly or parliament election from Belagavi.
The defeat of Veerkumar Patil seems imminent this time round in case the Congress ignores Vivekrao Patil. Both Jarkiholis and Kattis, despite hailing from two rival parties got together in Belagavi DCC Bank election to ensure victory of Laxman Savadi (BJP) as bank's chairman last year. To avoid Vivekrao Patil from entering the fray as a rebel, Jarkiholis and leaders from Raibag and Chikkodi region from the Congress are exerting pressure on leaders to field him. On the other side, a section of party leaders want Veerkumar Patil in fray.
For BJP, Kavatgimath may not have problems in landing a party ticket if Ramesh Katti backs out. Chairman of KLE Prabhakar Kore and most of BJP leaders in the district are in support of Kavatgimath. Within the next few days, both the parties are expected to disclose their official candidates.
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