Campaigning for the second phase of gram panchayat polls has picked up in Belagavi and surrounding districts. Though the elections are supposed to be non-political and parties do not issue ticket to candidates, the polls are heavily politicised and in most villages, they are being fought on party lines.
The BJP has been holding Gram Swaraj meetings to coincide with the poll campaigning. These meetings are not only to spread word about the achievements of the State and Union governments, but also to scout for potential candidates, party sources say.
In these taluk-level meetings, a Cabinet Minister and a State-level BJP leader participate. Ramesh Jarkiholi, district in-charge Minister, openly announced in a meeting in Gokak that the BJP would win in 80 % of the gram panchayats.
The Congress has also been holding similar meetings, with senior leaders, including Satish Jarkiholi and Lakshmi Hebbalkar, addressing workers.
In most taluks, the campaign has been peaceful, though there have been a few untoward incidents.
In Ankalagi, Congress members complained that BJP members attacked them with sticks and machetes. The police arrested BJP leader Raju Talwar and six of his associates as part of the investigation on Saturday.
In KK Koppa, there was a stand-off between Maratha and Nayaka community leaders over differences related to gram panchayat polls on Saturday.
A funeral procession of the Nayaka community was stopped by some Maratha youth in the village. The police had to intervene to allow the procession to continue.
In Kemmanakolu village near Gokak, some candidates said that their adversaries were using black magic to defeat them. One candidate found a plastic bag containing coconut, bones, cloth and a paper slip with the names of the candidate and his family members on Sunday. He complained about this before the community elders who held a meeting in the Hanuman temple. It was decided that the controversial bag be tied to a nail on the temple roof.
Meanwhile, the district administration has issued strict instructions to Excise Department officials to check the transport, distribution or illegal sale of liquor. The police have set up check-posts at the inter-State and inter-district borders to stop the illegal movement of money and liquor.
Deputy Commissioner and District Electoral Officer M.G. Hiremath visited poll training centres in Athani, Kagawad, Chikkodi and Nippani taluks that will go to the polls in the second phase.
He spoke to officers in Chikkodi about the importance of mustering and de-mustering, training of returning and assistant returning officers, vigilance squads and security personnel, and poll ballot papers.