Belagavi: Elections to the two-member constituency of Vijayapur and Bagalkot to the legislative council from local bodies is expected to see an interesting clash between Congress and BJP.
Besides sitting MLCs S.R. Patil of Congress and G.S. Nyamgouda of BJP, several other leaders from both the parties are aspiring for their party ticket this time round. After the victory of S R Patil and Nyamgouda, both hailing from Bagalkot, last time, Vijayapur remained without any representation.
Many Congress party leaders are exerting pressure on the party high command to field a leader hailing from Vijayapur with the other being Mr Patil from Bagalkot in the coming election. Mr Patil won the election without any difficulty last time as his party's strategy to field only one candidate in the election paid off. However, BJP fielded two candidates finally winning one seat. Chandrashekhar Kavatgi, who was the other candidate from BJP had lost last time.
In BJP too, several prominent leaders from both the cities are lobbying for ticket including former union minister Basangouda Patil Yatnal. A section of BJP leaders in Vijayapur want the party to give a ticket to Yatnal so that he ends his cold war with another section of prominent BJP leaders in the city. The BJP leaders in Vijayapur will be able to get united and work together in the next assembly elections without any differences if Yatnal is given the ticket, they feel.
Sources said, the BJP will also be able to have its stranglehold on major Lingayat community by roping in Yatnal. A strong leader from Vijayapur region, Yatnal has a massive support of Lingayats from the region ever since he first won Lok Sabha election.
After its bitter experience last time, the BJP is still in a dilemma whether to field only one candidate or two this time. According to sources, besides Nyamgouda and Yatnal, Shambu Kakkalmeli and Ramanna Talewad are two other prominent BJP leaders aspiring for party ticket. The party is expected to take a final call on whether to go with one candidate or two within a day or two.
Congress too is undecided on the issue of having one or two candidates in the fray. The candidature of Patil is certain, while leaders in the party from Vijayapur are keeping up pressure on leaders to have another candidate from Vijayapur. In that case, president of Vijayapur District Congress chief Sharanappa Sunagar may make it, sources said.
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