Karnataka - Belgaum   

JD(S) seeks Central forces

Belgaum: The Belgaum district Janata Dal(S) has urged Governor Rameshwar Thakur to deploy Central forces in adequate numbers in Gokak Assembly constituency in the district to ensure free and fair polling. The constituency, which was hitherto reserved for Scheduled Tribes, has been deserved and left open for the general category after the recent delimitation exercise.

Talking to presspersons here on Friday, district Janata Dal(S) president Ashok Pujari said that Gokak had been a politically volatile constituency where polling on the last two occasions were not free and fair.

“The electorate suffered fear psychosis, if the happenings during the elections to the Assembly in 1999 and 2004 are any indication,” he said.

Without directly naming the Congress leader and two-time MLA Ramesh L. Jarkiholi, brother of former Ministers, Balachandra Jarkiholi and Satish Jarkiholi, he said the entire taluk administration, including the police, were “subservient” to the Congress candidate in the two elections.

The electorate, who were threatened by muscle power, besides being under the influence of money and liquor, could not exercise their right to franchise in a free and fair atmosphere.

Now, with the State going to the polls next month and the constituency continuing to be in the clutches of the Congress leader, who is all set to contest for the third time, the Election Commission and the Governor should take timely and adequate steps to ensure that the electorate cast their votes in a free and fair atmosphere.

He said the Gokak taluk unit of the Janata Dal(S) would stage a token dharna for two hours in front of the Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer M.E. Shivalingmurthy in Belgaum city on April 16 to bring pressure to bear on the Governor to take timely steps to deploy Central forces and issue strict instructions to all officials and the police to function in an impartial manner.

In the event of its demand being ignored, the party would stage a dharna in front of the office of the State Election Commission in Bangalore on April 25.

It would even stage a dharna in front of the Election Commission office in New Delhi if the Governor did not show proof of steps taken to provide Central forces, as the party had lost faith in the local police.

When it was pointed out that contestants from other parties had expressed similar fears in respect of Arabhavi constituency where Mr. Balachandra Jarkiholi as a Janata Dal(S) candidate registered his maiden victory in elections (with a victory margin of 19,450 votes) against the former Minister and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, V.S. Koujalgi, in 2004, Mr. Pujari was at a loss for words. He, however, said that it was the duty of the Election Commission and the government to ensure free and fair elections in every constituency.

The former MLA, C.S. Nayak, and Gokak taluk Janata Dal(S) president L.B. Hoolie were present.

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