Mounesh Vishwakarma
Daijiworld Media Network—Bantwal (RD/CN)
 
Bantwal, Jul 26: The local Congress leaders are competing amongst themselves for the post of Block Congress Committee (BCC) president.

Two rounds of meetings were held with Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee (DCC) president and local MLA B Ramanath Rai, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) member Ashwin Kumar Rai, and former mayor Shashidar Hegde in attendance and so far no decision has been arrived at, informed party sources.

There were already three BCCs under the taluk—Bantwal, Panemangalore, and Vittal—and a new BCC, Mudipu, has been formed. The local Congress leaders who won the recently held gram panchayat elections are eyeing the post of BCC presidents. 

Caste also plays a vital role in electing BCC presidents at a time when politics has been corrupted.
 
The term of B Padmashekar Jain, who was BCC president for two terms of the vast Bantwal BCC, has ended.  The name of Congressman Mayilappa Salian and veteran of Billava community is being suggested for Bantwal BCC president post.
 
The list of aspirants for the post of Panemangalore BCC extends longer due to its having two presidents caused by a controversy in the last term. 

Former taluk panchayat vice-president K Chandrahas Karkera was the president and former taluk panchayat president K Padmanabh Rai had complained to the high command against Karkera.

Rai served the party as BCC president for one term.  He distanced himself from party activities after Karkera took over the reins. 
 
In the current situation, Abbas Ali from minority community, as well as Ganesh Amtoor and K Sanjeev Poojary from Billava community, are seen as keen aspirants.  Other veteran Congressmen—Rajashekar Nayak, Usman Karopady, and former taluk panchayat president B Chandrahas Shetty, are also on the list.
 
Karkera is likely to contest in the newly-formed Mudipu BCC, which was separated from Mangalore constituency recently.
 
Stiff competition is likely to take place in Vittal BCC where, for the past 10 years, M S Masood has held the post of president.  Local gram panchayat member Praveen Alva and president Rajesh Balekallu are possible contestants for Vittal BCC.