May 6 (The Hindu): A resurgent BJP is all set to regain power in the Kalaburagi Zilla Panchayat and the party, with a clear majority, is likely to win both the panchayat president and vice-president posts in the elections on May 7.
Unlike in the urban local bodies where MPs and legislators have voting power, the Panchayat Raj Act does not facilitate voting rights to MPs and legislators in these elections. It would be entirely an affair of those elected to the zilla panchayat.
In a House of 47 members, the BJP has a clear majority of 24, followed by Congress with 21, Janata Dal(U) and Janata Dal(S) one member each. Fearing poaching of their members, particularly fence-sitters and disgruntled elements, the BJP, which had taken its members on a 15-day tour of Goa, Mumbai and others immediately after the elections, has once again sent its elected members on a tour of South Indian cities.
A senior leader of the party said that there were clear attempts by the Congress to win over the support of at least two members of the party to win the elections to the top posts in the panchayat. Hence, the elected members of the party were taken on an all-inclusive tour. The elected members of the BJP would be brought straight to the zilla panchayat meeting hall on May 7 and issued party whip to vote for the party candidates contesting for the two top posts.
When contacted, Congress leaders denied the charge and said that there were clear instructions from the party leaders that no attempts should be made to engineer a defection in the BJP and win the elections through the backdoor.
“If there is a division in the BJP over the selection of party candidates, the party would take their support in the elections,” said another leader who wished to remain anonymous.
Even if the Janata Dal(U) and Janata Dal(S) decide to extend support to the Congress in the elections, the party would require the support of two more members from the opposite camp to win the elections, which appears to be a distant possibility, unless some dramatic developments take place in the last minute.
Prominent names which figure in the list of the probable candidates for the post of president in the BJP are that of Suvarna Malaji who was elected from Tadkal constituency in Aland, Annapurna who was elected from Athnur constituency in Afzalpur. The name of Vijayalakshmi Vaijnath Tadkal who was elected from Mahagoan figures prominently in the Congress list for the post of panchayat president. The panchayat president’s post is reserved for General (Woman) and that of the vice-president for Scheduled Castes (Woman).