Date:04/12/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/12/04/stories/2005120405080300.htm

Karnataka - Bijapur

Heavy rush to file nomination papers

Staff Correspondent

BIJAPUR: There was a heavy rush at the election offices in Bijapur and elsewhere in the district on Saturday as many candidates arrived just before the deadline to file nominations for the zilla and taluk panchayat elections to be held here on December 23.

Saturday was the last day to file the nominations. Police had a tough time controlling the crowd at the election office as the candidates came with a large number of supporters.

By Friday, 130 nominations were filed for the zilla panchayat elections and 324 nominations for the taluk panchayat elections, it is learnt.

Confusion and lobbying for tickets continued till the last minute as parties, especially the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular), kept the lists of official candidates a secret. The distribution of `B' forms led to skirmishes in some places.

Auspicious time

Bidar Staff Correspondent reports:

Over 1,120 candidates filed their nominations for the elections to the 118 taluk panchayat seats in Bidar, here on Saturday, the last date for filing nominations.

As many as 473 people filed their nominations for the 31 zilla panchayat seats.

There was a huge rush at the offices of the returning officers for the zilla panchayat and taluk panchayat elections on Saturday, the last day to file the nominations.

Most candidates chose to file the nominations during the last two hours before the deadline ended as they were considered auspicious. Few nominations were filed during Rahukala (11.30 a.m. to 1 p.m.).

BJP nominees were the first to file the nominations. Janata Dal (Secular) and Congress nominees followed them.

Nearly 2,000 supporters of the Janata Dal (S) nominees took out a procession. They were led by Bandepppa Kashempur, MLA. BJP leaders, including Narayanrao Mannalli, Shivraj Gandage and Babu Wali, accompanied their party candidates while District Congress Committee President Basavaraj Bulla and district in-charge Minister Gurupadappa Nagamarapalli led another procession.