The Hindu : Tikota poised for another fight of the Patils?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 21, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bijapur

Tikota poised for another fight of the Patils?

By Suresh Bhat

BIJAPUR, MARCH 20. Tikota, which surrounds Bijapur city from three directions, is a stronghold of the Lingayats. In all the elections since the formation of the segment in 1957, Tikota has returned only Lingayats to power.

There are 1,54,970 voters in the constituency. While people belonging to different Lingayat sub-sects constitute a major chunk of the electorate, the Scheduled Caste and Other Backward Class members take the next slots, respectively.

Tikota, whose mainstay is horticulture, has been hit by the continued drought. Withered grapevines and empty pots lined before public taps are a common scene here, and these issues are likely to dominate the election.

Although the Congress has won the most number of times from the constituency, it is individual charisma that has been the deciding factor. From 1962 to 1990, it was either the late B.M. Patil or his handpicked candidates who won from the constituency. When the Congress split, Mr. B.M. Patil sided with the faction led by S. Nijalingappa. Though he went to the Upper House, he ensured that two of his nominees — G.S. Patil and B.B. Patil — got elected in the 1972 and 1978 elections from Tikota. They were fielded by the Congress (O) and the Janata Party, respectively. When he joined the Congress (I), the balance tilted in favour of that party.

He went on to win from the constituency in the 1983, 1985, and 1989 elections.

After his death, the Congress fielded his son, M.B. Patil, in the 1990 byelection, which he won by defeating Shivanand Patil of the Janata Dal.

However, Mr. Shivanand Patil, who belongs to the Panchamsali sub-sect of the Lingayats, inflicted a crushing defeat on Mr. M.B. Patil. Following the split in the Janata Dal, Mr. Shivanand Patil joined the BJP on the eve of the last election, and again trounced Mr. M.B. Patil.

It is said that Mr. Shivanand Patil is in a dilemma on whether to fight the Assembly election from Tikota on the BJP ticket or accept the reported invitation of the Congress, which wants him to fight the Lok Sabha election against the Union Minister of State for Railways, Basanagouda Patil R. Yatnal.

But Mr. Patil, who apparently is not sure of winning this time owing to the changed political atmosphere in Tikota, is keen on fighting the Assembly election either from Bijapur city or Basavanabagewadi.

However, the BJP leadership has reportedly clarified that it will field him only from the Tikota segment.

Also, Tikota is tipped to be a reserve segment in the next demarcation exercise, which is another reason cited for Mr. Patil's move to shift from the segment. Interestingly, Mr. M.B. Patil also does not want to fight from the Tikota Assembly Constituency, though the party has shown signs of recovery, thanks to an apparent anti-incumbency wave against Mr. Shivanand Patil.

This time, Mr. M.B. Patil has sought the party's nomination to contest from Bijapur city.

The fact that none of the members elected from Tikota have become ministers has made many politicians believe that it the constituency is "jinxed."

It is said that Mr. M.B. Patil has been asked to apply for the party ticket to contest from the Tikota Assembly Constituency.

The chances of Mr. Shivanand Patil fighting the election from the same constituency also cannot be ruled out.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka

News Update

Stories in this Section

Tikota poised for another fight of the Patils?

Fire at Nandi Sugar

Petrol seized from dhaba