Date:28/03/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/03/28/stories/2004032807280300.htm

Karnataka - Bellary

Electioneering yet to pick up in Bellary

By Our Staff Correspondent

BELLARY, MARCH 27. Electioneering is yet to pick up in the district, especially because of the delay by the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) in announcing the names of candidates. Only the Bharatiya Janata Party has announced its candidates.

March 31 is the last date for filing of nomination papers. Many leaders, particularly those confident of getting the ticket from their respective parties, have started organising party workers' meeting, opening party offices in various localities, door-to-door campaign and meeting people. In the Congress, Kolur Basavanagoud, member of the dissolved Lok Sabha; M. Diwakar Babu, Minister of State for Cooperation; and K.C. Kondaiah, MLC, are trying to get the party ticket. Except M.Y. Ghorpade, who announced his retirement from active politics, other members of the previous Assembly have applied for the party ticket. Mr. Ghorpade wants the Congress to give the party ticket to his brother, Venkatarao Ghorpade, former zilla panchayat President; while his son, Karthik Ghorpade, has filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate.

In the Janata Dal (S) camp, the party workers and leaders have been undergoing a similar experience. In Hadagali, Guruvina Kotraiah reportedly joined the Janata Dal (United) along with his supporters as there was no sign of the Janata Dal (S) fielding him. Mr. Kotraiah was defeated by M.P. Prakash in the 1994 elections, and is now a supporter of the latter. He is likely to contest on the Janata Dal (U) ticket. Suryanarayan Reddy, who was defeated in Kurgodu as a BJP candidate in the previous elections, is aspiring for the JD(S) ticket this time.