Daijiworld Media Network – Puttur (SP)

Puttur, Dec 18: Although the Congress and the JDS have failed to enter into an electoral alliance for the ensuing Zilla Panchayat (ZP) and Taluk Panchayat (TP) elections at the state level, there are clear indications that these two parties have entered into an understanding at the taluk level.

The taluk has always been a battlefield for Congress and the BJP. The JDS, which does not have a formidable presence here, is expected to help the Congress by fielding only a handful of its candidates for these elections. JDS does not have the popularity required to win a number of seats on its own in this taluk. Its only aim therefore, appears to be to make efforts to defeat the BJP candidates by avoiding distribution of votes between a number of candidates.

It is gathered that the JDS will field its candidate in only one of the six zilla panchayat seats in this taluk. Out of 22 taluk panchayat constituencies, it is expected to field only four candidates. In all other constituencies, it will extend wholehearted support to the Congress party candidates.

Realizing that these two parties have entered into an understanding, CPM has fielded its candidate from Kadaba zilla panchayat constituency. In the previous zilla panchayat by election too, the CPM had fielded its candidate from Panaje constituency, to oppose the electoral understanding between the JDS and the Congress.

Out of the 22 taluk panchayat seats, the BJP had won 13 in the last election, while in the zilla panchayat elections, it had fared much batter, bagging five of the six seats, leaving one seat for the Congress.