Karnataka   

Weavers hold the key in Terdal Assembly segment

BAGALKOT: Terdal Assembly Constituency, a new segment carved out in Bagalkot district after abolishing the Gulledgud Assembly Constituency after delimitation process, provides a godsent opportunity for the dominant weaver community to elect their representative after a gap of more than 25 years.

Bagalkot district is known for its weaving centres and weavers have brought fame and name with their products such as Ilkal Sarees and other dress materials.

The weavers are dominant community in Rabkavi, Terdal and Banhatti areas and all these areas have now been included in the Terdal Assembly segment.

The last time a person from the weaver community was elected from Bagalkot district to the Assembly was Mallikarjun Banni contesting on BJP ticket from Guledgud Assembly constituency in 1983, and after that despite political parties giving ticket to members from the weavers community, none of them could make it, as the community is deeply divided and lacked organisational capacity despite being economically powerful.

Other communities which play a crucial role in the election are the Panchamshali sub-caste among the Lingayats, Reddys, Kurubas, Dalits and the Muslims.

The BJP which has fielded Siddu Savadi as its candidate from Terdal has lost an opportunity to field a candidate from the weaver community. Mr. Savadi, former MLA from Jamkhandi Assembly Constituency, belongs to the influential Panchamshali community, who constitute a sizeable number of voters in the constituency.

One name which is going around in the Congress circles is that of actor and theatre person Umashri, who is a member in the Legislative Council.

Ms. Umasri belongs to the weavers community and, according to party sources, she has staked claim to the party ticket from Terdal.

However, local Congress leaders are opposed an “outsider” and want the party to field a local candidate.

Others from the Congress who have staked claim for the ticket include Auradi, who belongs to Banajiga sub-caste of Lingayats and hails from Mahalingapur which has been included in Terdal; M.S. Hippargi from Jamkhandi and industrialist Jagadish Gudagunti, who owns Prabhulingh Sugar Factory.

The Janata Dal (Secular) is likely to field A.B. Balagali from the constituency.

Terdal has the highest percentage of voters having the Electors Photo Identity Card of 65 per cent of the total 1.78 lakh voters and has the second largest Scheduled Caste population of more than 21.44 per cent after Bilgi Assembly constituency, which has 23.16 per cent of voters.

The district administration has identified 62 polling booths of the 178 as hyper sensitive and 76 polling booths as sensitive.

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