Karnataka - Bijapur   

Chaos marks Bijapur APMC election

Staff Correspondent

Two groups owing allegiance to MLAs trade charges

BIJAPUR: Elections held to the posts of president and vice-president of Bijapur Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee was chaotic here on Friday.

Amid allegations of procedural lapses and irregularities, Bapugouda K. Patil and Ramanagouda B. Patil, both supporters of Shivanand Patil, Congress MLA for Basavanabagewadi, were declared elected president and vice-president respectively.

They secured the support of 10 members each while their rivals Siddanna Sakri and Parvathibayi Jalageri, both followers of M.B. Patil, Congress MLA for Tikota, polled seven votes each.

There was confusion and unruly scenes during the elections. Tikota MLA and supporters staged a dharna.

Trouble started at 2.30 p.m. when the brother of Mr. Shivanand Patil, Vijaykumar Patil, came there along with a fax message sent by the Cooperation Department.

The message showed the nomination of two new directors, Hussein Basha and Neelkanta Chalwadi, in place of Arun Warad and Annugouda Patil.

Mr. M.B. Patil's group objected to this saying since the election process was almost over nothing could be entertained.

It argued that fax message cannot be treated as authentic.

Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Mohsin, who arrived there around 4.30 p.m., contacted the department concerned and confirmed the fax order.

Soon he entertained the new members and declared that the membership of Mr. Warad and Mr. Annugouda Patil stood cancelled. It led to further unruly scenes. Mr. M.B. Patil's group announced that it would challenge the election in the court.

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