Belagavi: A week-long effort made by several Congress leaders to grab the post of Belagavi Zilla Panchayat President paid off with party candidate from Ugar near Athani, Asha Aihole elected President of Belagavi ZP. She secured 46 votes as against 39 bagged by her nearest rival Basavva Kolkar from BJP. The Congress also won the ZP Vice-President post.
Apart from Asha, Basavva Kolkar of BJP and Madhuri Hegde of MES were in the fray for the top post. Other ZP candidates, Minakshi Jodatti and Annapurna Malge withdrew the nomination papers they had filed for the President's post at the last moment. In the VP election, 46 members voted for Arun Katamble of Congress.
The Congress party had a tough time persuading some other candidates aspiring to contest for the top post to withdraw. Hundreds of party activists from Raibag taluk rushed to the venue of the election in Belagavi Wednesday morning urging party leaders to help elect a member from Raibag taluk as ZP president. However, a meeting of leaders comprising Sadanand Dangnavar, H.M. Revanna and R.B. Timmapur decided in consultation with local leaders to make Asha Aihole the candidate.
Upset over the neglect of Raibag segment, several party leaders blamed Chikkodi MP Prakash Hukkeri for depriving their candidate the top post. The election to the ZP president's post gains significance this year with the government according a cabinet grade to it extending the president's term to five years.
Until the process of election began, members in BJP camp were hopeful of getting the support of all Independents to reach the required 46 member mark to win the top post. However, no one other than the 39 BJP members supported the BJP candidate.
