As the elections for the gram panchayats have been announced, all major political parties — the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Congress and the Janata Dal(S) — have started choosing candidates indirectly and extending support to them to make for themselves a strong political bastion in the rural areas and at the same time, prepare and be ready to face the upcoming zilla and taluk panchayat elections.
Elections to 119 gram panchayats in Yadgir district will be held in two phases, on December 22 and 27. There are 123 gram panchayats in the district but elections will be held to 119, as Hunsagi Gram Panchayat has been upgraded as a town panchayat, two gram panchayats are not voting as cases are pending before courts and the tenure of one gram panchayat will end by next year.
The BJP is ahead of the Congress and the Janata Dal(S) as it has already started a campaign in the name of Gram Swaraj.
A programme was held in Shahapur recently to give a boost to party workers in creating awareness among voters about government schemes and get more number of seats in the elections and make a strong base for the taluk and zilla panchayat elections probably scheduled in April next year.
‘PM, CM doing well’
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa have been doing well for the people with the implementation of new projects and schemes. And, empowerment of villages is the prime focus of the two governments.
Thus, we organised Gram Swaraj programmes in the district and conveyed the message to the people as we will register victory in more than 80 % of gram panchayat seats,” district president of the BJP Sharanabhupal Reddy told The Hindu.
The government’s move to release ₹ 1.50 crore for each gram panchayats to implement schemes under MGNREGA will definitely take villages to a different level, he added.
‘Anti-incumbency’
Meanwhile, the Congress and the Janata Dal(S) believe that the “anti-incumbency” factor will help them in the elections as the common people and farmers are fed up with the bad governance of the both Union and State governments.
“The State government has not only failed to take up development works but also to handle COVID-19. Rampant corruption at all levels has affected administration. Vijayendra, son of the Chief Minister, has been interfering in the administration which has prevented officers in taking up development works in the rural areas. All these factors will help us in the gram panchayat elections,” Nagangowda Kandkur, MLA and district president of the Janata Dal(S), said.
The Congress also planned to convince the voters to support it, while highlighting the failure of the governments and other issues, including ongoing farmers protest, and try to convert public anger into votes.
“This time, we will send a strong message to both the Union and State governments by helping more number of candidates supported by the party win the elections and make a ground for the taluk and zilla panchayat elections,” Marigowda Patil Hulkal, president of the District Congress Committee, said.
Out of the 119 gram panchayats, 63 (24 in Shahapur, 21 in Surpur and 18 in Hunsagi) will face elections in the first phase on December 22.
The remaining 56 gram panchayats (22 in Yadgir, 17 each in Wadagera and Gurmitkal) will go to the polls in the second phase on December 27.
As many as 9,96,446 voters, who are eligible to exercise their franchise, will decide the fate of 2,291 candidates in the district.
