Zilla Panchayat polls: It's son-rise' in ore-rich Ballari too

Ballari: Like in other districts, ore-rich Ballari too is witnessing a ‘son-rise’ in the ongoing elections to zilla and taluk panchayats.

Children of former KPCC former president and former MLA Mr Allum Veerabhadrappa, former MLAs Mr Nara Suryanarayan Reddy, Mr N.M. Nabi, Mr N.T. Bommanna and late  Shankar Singh are fighting the ZP elections for the first time.

Mr Allum Veerabhadrappa who represented Kurugodu assembly constituency earlier, has fielded his son Mr Allum Prashanth from Rupanagudi ZP seat, while Mr Reddy who also once represented Kurugodu as JD(S) MLA, has now fielded his son, Mr Bharath Reddy from Korlagundi ZP seat on Congress ticket. While, former minister and ex-MLA of the erstwhile Janata Dal from Kudligi Mr N.M. Nabi has fielded his son Mr Noor Ahmmed from Ujjini ZP seat on a Congress ticket, another ex-MLA of the Congress from Kudligi, Mr N.T. Bommanna has fielded his son Mr Thammanna from Gudekote seat on a BJP ticket. In Hampi ZP constituency, mining businessman Mr Praveen Singh is fighting on Congress ticket. He is the son of ex-MLA from Hosapate late Sathyanarayana Singh.

Political circles say that despite having money power and caste support, once-powerful political families belonging to non-SC/ST communities have been deprived a chance to contest from their traditional political bastions post 2008 in the district, since seven of the nine assembly constituencies and one Lok Sabha seat have been reserved for STs and SCs.

Mr Veerabhadrappa, Mr Reddy and Mr Nabi lost their assembly constituencies due to SC/ST reservation and their repeated attempts to become members of the state legislative council went in vain. It now appears that they want to return to the political mainstream through their children.