Candidates show strength, file nominations for Basavakalyan

Basavakalyan Assembly constituency in Bidar district, which would face the byelection on April 17, saw hectic political activities on the last day for filing nominations on Tuesday as many candidates

Basavakalyan Assembly constituency in Bidar district, which would face the byelection on April 17, saw hectic political activities on the last day for filing nominations on Tuesday as many candidates held multiple rallies and public meetings and filed their nomination papers. The town also witnessed Congress and BJP leaders verbally attacking each other’s party in their respective public meetings. BJP candidate Sharanu Salagar, a Kalaburagi-based Lingayat leader, whose candidature had faced stiff resistance from local party leaders who were denied the party ticket, managed to mobilise around 10,000 people to show his local support. He filed his nomination papers at about 11 a.m. and again at 3 p.m. He addressed the emotionally-charged crowd at Shantiniketan Grounds before filing his nomination papers for the second time. Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Housing Minister V. Somanna, Animal Husbandry Minister Prabhu Chauhan, Lok Sabha member from Bidar Bhagwanth Khuba and other party leaders addressed the gathering elucidating why Mr. Salagar was preferred as party candidate over 16 local aspirants. Legislators from BJP B.G. Patil, Dattatreya Patil Revoor, Rajkumar Patil Telkur, Basavaraj Mattimud, BJP SC Morcha State vice-president Ambaraya Ashtagi and other party leaders participated in the public meeting.