The Hindu : Will expulsions affect Bidar poll outcome?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 01, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Will expulsions affect Bidar poll outcome?

By Our Staff Correspondent

Bidar Nov. 30. The expulsion of the former Minister and President of the Akhila Karnataka Veerashaiva Mahasabha, Bheemanna Khandre, and two of his sons from the Congress has been welcomed both by the Congress and the Janata Dal (S), though for different reasons.

The disciplinary action, effected just 36 hours before elections to the Legislative Council from the local authorities constituency were to be held, may upset, at least partly, the earlier calculations by political observers about the possible results of the elections. If the expulsion does not succeed in weighing the scales in favour of Baburao Gudage, the Janata Dal (S) candidate, it will at least reduce the winning margin of the Congress candidate and Minister of State for Energy, Basavaraj Patil Humnabad. Both the candidates have accepted that it is a close fight between them.

Mr. Humnabad said that the expulsion would not affect his chances. "I thank the party High Command for having acted against my complaint and taking disciplinary action against Mr. Khandre and his sons. It will be a morale booster for sincere Congress workers and will act as a warning to those who are still in the party and trying to work against it. This step will not affect us in any way. On the contrary, it will ensure our victory," Mr Humnabad said.

Mr. Gudage, a former Congressman, also welcomed the move, saying that this "timely move by the Congress" would help him. "This will increase the margin of votes by which I will win. The ruling party has dug its own grave by expelling such a powerful leader and organiser. I take this opportunity to invite him into the JD(S). I will also ask the senior leaders, H.D. Deve Gowda, Siddaramaiah, and M.P. Prakash to give him a formal invitation to join us."

Ishwar Khandre, one of Bheemanna Khandre's sons who was expelled, condemned the move saying it was unfortunate that some vested interests in the Congress had succeeded in falsely implicating his family. "My father is in Bangalore, unmindful of the elections. And my brother and I were not engaged in any anti-party activities. It is sad and unjust that we have not even been given a show-cause notice before our expulsion," he said.

Ishwar Khandre, who had aspired for party ticket for these elections along with 15 others, admitted that he had not been actively campaigning for Mr. Humnabad who, according to him, obtained ticket despite the opposition of 80 per cent of party workers and elected representatives from the district.

Brushing aside reports that the Khandre family would join the JD(S) as "election-time rumours", he said they would decide on their course of action after consulting their followers. He would ask voters who were his followers to go by their conscience in choosing their representative in the Council.

Meanwhile, Mr. Bheemanna Khandre's family sources said that he would soon complain to the AICC President, Sonia Gandhi, that he had been unjustly treated by the State leadership.

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