Mangalore, December 22: The number of aspirants vying for Puttur Assembly seat ticket has been on the rise within Congress circles, especially after a group of Muslim leaders from the party demanded at least two seats in any of the eight Assembly constituencies in the district for Muslim candidates.
In four of those constituencies, Congress has influential MLAs who are unlikely to be denied a ticket in their respective constituencies. Sullia is a reserved constituency. Mangalore (South) constituency is likely to be given to a Christian candidate. With these dynamics, most of the aspirants have set their eyes on Puttur.
The move by Muslim leaders in the party to demand an additional constituency for a Muslim candidate to contest elections (besides Ullal) is said to have disappointed a few Congressmen.
Some aspirants have even knocked doors in Delhi to make their voice heard. If the party goes ahead and fulfills the demand of the Muslim leaders by grating two Assembly constituencies for Muslim candidates, other aspirants will have to bank on Puttur constituency for a ticket and the developments have hence, resulted in 25 aspirants applying for the constituency ticket.
In 2008, Bondala Jagannath Shetty had successfully obtained the Puttur ticket. Owing to Shakuntala Shetty's dissidence, there was a pro-Congress atmosphere too at the time and Bondala was likely to emerge victorious. However, he had to taste defeat by a margin of 1,255 votes.
The 2,552 votes that BSP candidate Abdul Hameed had obtained then had also played a role in humbling Bondala. After his death, there are chances of the Congress being in a favourable position due to the sympathy factor and hence whoever contests from Puttur for the Congress is believed to have an edge. Therefore, the number of applicants for the election ticket in this constituency this time has also swollen.
Vokkaliga candidate?
BJP strongman and former chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda has indicated that if his party asks him to contest the elections, he would do so from Puttur constituency. If this happens, then there are all chances of the Congress fielding a Vokkaliga candidate in Puttur. Sullia's influential leader Bharath Mundodi was in the race last time too.
But since the BJP had fielded a Bunt candidate, Bondala Jagannath Shetty was given a go. This time however, the Congress High Command may well give the nod to Mr. Mundodi to cash in on the Vokkaliga factor.
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