Top notch politicians' kin keen on panchayat polls

Ballari: The scenario in the run-up to elections to the Zilla Panchayats is no less intense than the high-voltage general election to the state assembly.  What is interesting this time is the rush of kin of top notch politicians to grab the poll ticket. This is apart from the unbridled use of political power, money, caste and muscle power to get the ticket and win the election.

In north Karnataka districts, there are several instances where children, the wife and close relatives of senior politicians including MLAs and ministers have been chosen to contest the ZP elections apart from candidates who were defeated in the assembly elections. In Ballari district, children of senior politicians including former KPCC president Allum Veerabhadrappa and former MLA Nara Suryanarayana Reddy have asked for the Congress party ticket.

Mr N. Venkatesh, a two-time defeated Assembly poll candidate from Kudligi is seeking the ZP ticket to contest from Gudekote constituency along with a couple of other defeated candidates in the district. The aspirants are going all out and pulling all strings to secure the ticket of the ruling party.

The reason for this hectic lobbying for the ZP ticket is obvious- the ‘Minister of State” rank for the chairperson of the ZP.

Congress party senior leader and MLC Mr Kondaiah says that lobbying for the  ruling party's ZP ticket is hectic compared to previous elections as everyone wants to grab the chairman post with MoS status. “If a candidate wins this election and succeeds in becoming ZP president, he/she will be as good as the district minister. This is why we are seeing this rush and hectic lobbying for the ticket”, he added. He says that the amended Panchayati Raj Act has provided 50 per cent reservation to women.

“But I still see more women seeking tickets from constituencies open for both men and women. It means that women hailing from rural areas are not lagging behind in political awareness”. Most politicians do not want to see alternative power centres emerging in the districts which is why they want to have their own choices as the chief of the ZP.  Besides the MoS rank for the ZP chief, MLAs irrespective of whether they belong to the ruling party or the opposition are worried that the increase in the tenure of zill panchayat chairpersons from one to five years would reduce their clout in their constituencies and the respective districts.

“How can the district in-charge minister and zilla panchayat chairperson enjoy the same privileges? It will only create ego clashes, especially if both are from different political parties,” an MLA said.

MoS rank for ZP presidents
The Karnataka Panchayat Raj (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015 that was tabled in the House on Wednesday, proposes to give Adhykshas of all 30 zilla panchayats in the state the minister of state rank wherein they will be eligible to a monthly salary of Rs 40,000, sumptuary allowance of Rs 3 lakh, house rent allowance of Rs 80,000 a month, bungalow maintenance allowance of Rs 20,000 and petrol quota of 1,000 litres a month besides an official car. Official sources said the government will have to incur roughly about Rs 60 lakh per month for presidents of 30 Zilla panchayats in the state if the Bill becomes an Act.