Tug of war between Congress & BJP for Bidar MLC seat, Semi-final for Assembly Elections?

Bidar || Saba Khan : As widely known MLC elections are going to held as term of previous MLC has come to an end. MLC elections are held once in 6 yrs and its procedure is different from MLA election as MLC’ s are chosen by municipalities, Gram panchayats samitis and district councils and elected representatives. MLC’s too are allotted separate fund for development of their representing constituencies as MLA & MP. Ex MLC of Bidar was Vijay Singh from Congress whose term has come to an end and elections are going to be held to fill his vacant seat.

The Election Commission declared on November 9 that biennial elections for 25 seats in the Karnataka legislative council will be held on December 10, setting the stage for a battle for control of the upper house. The elections have been called since the term of 25 council members is coming to an end on January 5. The electorate is made up of members of 20 local government constituencies. The election results will be announced on December 14. The council is made up of 75 people. The ruling BJP remains six seats shy of a majority in the upper house, making it difficult to enact important — and frequently contentious — legislation without tacit agreement from the opposition parties.

BJP Vs Congress Direct Fight in Bidar?

The elections are going to be carried through out every district of Karnataka state. Lets have a look on the candidates contesting from Bidar. Bhim Rao Patil is contesting from Congress Party, He is sibling of Rajshekhar Patil’s who is MLA of Humnabad and was ex minister too and his elder brother Chandrakant Patil is also an MLC from Hyderabad Karnataka Graduates constituency.

What’s Surprising is that party hasn’t fielded Vijay Singh who is the sitting MLC of Bidar and instead chose third members of a single family as its candidate. This has given political parties enough ammo to show the dynasty rule of Congress Party.

Is there no leader’s left to represent Congress Party except the Humnabad Patil family? Many Muslim leaders have asked this question. They claim that the leaders from the community is being taken for granted & constantly ignored by Congress Party. There are already the rumblings in the party with many senior minority leaders sulking and staying away from the party. One of the reasons for downfall in the fortunes of Congress Party is dynastic Politics as BJP and other parties has accused Congress Party in the past and this nomination has brought the issue of nepotism to the fore.

The Congress party is riddled with factionalism and the candidate selection has caused this to come out in open. It will be interesting to see how the election will play out.

BJP Too faces factionalism

BJP Party, who has given ticket to Prakash Khandre, who is cousin of Eshwar Khandre, Congress MLA of Bhalki (who is ironically the Working President of Congress Party KPCC). Prakash Khandre has also contested By-election from Bidar held in 2016 as the BJP and was defeated by Rahim Khan. In 2018, Mr. Prakash Khandre quit the BJP after he was denied party ticket. He contested the elections from Bhalki against his cousin Eshwar Khandre on Janata Dal(S) ticket and miserably lost by receiving just 9.06% of the polled votes.

The BJP giving Ticket to a Party hopper candidate and ignoring loyalists have caused huge heartburn in the party. as a double whammy that candidate belonging to a political family has dented BJP’s pitch against the nepotism.

Though the key of these elections is held by Lingayat community, however the other major communities too form a big chunk of voters. This election is seen as the Semifinal to State elections as this election might Eventually decode the favour of people of the state.