Karnataka - Bidar   

Congress, BJP sceptical of rebels in Bidar South

BIDAR: Both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party are sceptical of rebel candidates in the coming Assembly elections in the district. Aspirants for the party ticket are many in both parties and selection of candidates has been a tough task.

Rebels have upset the Congress official nominee’s fortunes in the last Assembly elections in Bidar Assembly segment. Interestingly, rebels in the last polls, polled more number of votes than the official Congress candidate.

The fear that the Congress might field a non-minority Congress candidate from the Bidar South segment has made minorities demand ticket for a member of their community.

A section of the Congress minority leaders have pressed for giving ticket to minority candidate to cash in on the large chunk of minority votes. These leaders have urged party seniors to field a candidate from the minorities from Bidar.

Party sources said the Congress would face whether it fields a minority candidate or not.

Allocation of party ticket to Sanjay Kheny, a businessman, for Bidar South seat had lead to discontent among party workers.

A couple of public meetings witnessed noisy scenes over the selection of candidates. Sources said that Mr. Kheny has been favoured against senior leader for the seat.

The Congress paid a heavy price on account of rebels who fielded themselves as independents against official party nominees.

In the 2004 elections, for the Congress, its official nominee Rafat Mateen could poll only 4,343 votes.

The former Minister Bandeppa Kashempur who was denied party ticket in 2004 elections from Bidar Assembly segment, contested as an independent and won the election polling 67,019 votes. Mr. Kashempur later joined Janata Dal (Secular) and became a Minister.

Syed Zulfikar Hashmi, a former Bahujan Samaj Party MLA, also was an aspirant for Congress ticket in 2004 for Bidar Assembly segment, was also denied party ticket.

He fielded himself as an independent and polled 39,804 votes. Later, Mr. Hashmi re-joined the BSP.

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