Kannada organisations have urged all parties not to venture into post-poll alliances with the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti in the Belagavi City Corporation elections.
“We are asking the BJP, Congress and other parties to stay away from the MES,” Ashok Chandaragi, convenor of the Action committee of Kannada organisations in Belagavi on Friday. “There is no need to either seek their support or support them either in the election of councillors or in the election of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor. If any party tries that, we will complain against them to the State government and protest against the leaders who entered into such alliances,” he said.
Mr. Chandaragi and other members of Kannada organisations like Moinuddin Makandar and Deepak Guadaganatti, told journalists that they would strongly oppose any such political alliances. “It is likely that either a national or a regional party will come to power in the BCC. But if the results are not conclusive and no party gets a majority, there is a possibility that some may try to form alliances with the MES,” he said. “For the first time since the formation of the BCC, the elections are being held on the basis of party affiliations. It is very likely that all parties will try to occupy the Mayor’s chair. They may even try to buy out Independents or engineer defections. Some leaders may try to come to power by winning over some MES councillors to their side. We are appealing to all parties not to do so. If they do, then we will organise a serious agitation,” he said.
“MES leaders have been betraying the Marathi-speaking common population. While the party leaders have made money by playing politics, the common man who has believed in their lies, remains where he was,” Mr. Gudaganatti alleged. “We want to expose the nefarious designs of the MES and expose them,” he said.
Earlier, the action committee members submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner and district electoral officer demanding action against MES that was provoking the people on the basis of language and State affiliations. “MES leaders have written letters to the government seeking Marathi boards in villages bordering Belagavi, Khanapur and Nippani. They have also spread messages on social media insulting the Kannada language culture and the Kannada flag,” the Kannada activists said.
Meanwhile, MES leader Shubham Shelke released an audio clip asking Marathi speaking candidates to withdraw from the race in support of the MES candidates. “Senior leaders should help juniors and vice versa. There should not be a competition among ourselves,” he said.
