Bhagwanth Khuba | Photo Credit: File Photo

Just as the country is gearing up for Lok Sabha elections that are a few months away, the atmosphere in the Bidar unit of BJP is also heating up with intense political activity. On the one hand, many prominent leaders have started staking claims to party ticket to contest the election from Bidar. This constituency is currently represented in Lok Sabha by the Union Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy Bhagwanth Khuba and, many are trying to ensure that Mr. Khuba won’t get the party ticket.

Mr. Khuba who defeated Congress veteran and former Chief Minister late N. Dharam Singh in 2014 and another prominent Congress leader Eshwar Khandre in 2019, appears to be confident of getting the party ticket for the third consecutive term. However, his rivals within the party are stumbling blocks in his way.

It is learnt that two party MLAs – Sharanu Salagar from Basavakalyan and Prabhu Chauhan from Aurad – have, with the active support of two more MLAs – Siddu Patil from Humnabad and Shailendra Beldale from Bidar South – opposed the candidature of Mr. Khuba in the recently-held party meeting convened by party’s State unit chief B.Y. Vijayendra. These leaders alleged that Mr. Khuba did not take the rank and file of the party into confidence and neglected the party leaders in the district. Mr. Chauhan has time and again alleged that Mr. Khuba had worked against him to ensure his defeat in the Aurad Assembly constituency in the last election. Mr. Salagar has openly demanded the party leadership give a Bidar ticket for the Lok Sabha elections to a Maratha candidate.

Clockwise: Bhagwanth Khuba, Subhash Guttedar, Nagaraj Karpoor, Nandakumar Salunke, Eshwar Singh Thakur and Gurunath Kollur | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

As the number of leaders opposing Mr. Khuba’s candidature is increasing with each day passing so is the number of candidates staking claims for the party ticket to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Bidar. Former legislators Subhash Kallur, Gundappa Wakil, Subhash Guttedar, other leaders Gurunath Kollur, Eshwar Singh Thakur, Channabasava Balathe, Nagaraj Karpoor, Nandakumar Salunke and Padmakar Patil are, along with Mr. Khuba, the frontline contenders for the ticket.

Mr Karpoor, who threw his hat in the ring by publically expressing his desire to contest from Bidar Lok Sabha constituency on BJP ticket at a media conference recently, is the grandson of celebrated freedom fighter Chandrashekhar Patil, who had fought the British and the Razakaras [unofficial militia of Hyderabad Nizam]. A chemical engineer by profession, he worked in the USA for eight years before returning to Bidar and involving himself in politics. He is confident of getting a ticket considering his hard work for the party all these years apart from his family’s contribution and sacrifice for the freedom and development of the region.

Mr. Salunke and Mr. Patil are the from Maratha community which is the second largest community after Lingayats in the district. Mr. Salunke hails from Bhalki and has a construction and real estate business in Pune. Mr. Guttedar, a former MLA for Aland in Kalaburagi district who was defeated by Congress candidate B.R. Patil in the last Assembly elections, is lobbying for a party ticket to contest Lok Sabha elections from Bidar. The same is the case with Mr. Takhur who was defeated in the last Assembly elections in Bidar constituency. His close contacts in Sangh Pariwar and active participation in Hindutva agitations may come in handy for him.

Mr Kollur founded the Atal Foundation to make inroads among the people at the grassroots level and impress the party leaders. His close contacts with seers of various Lingayat maths may come in handy for him in his race for the ticket. 

If party leadership considers the age factor, Mr. Balathe, who is the youngest among the major aspirants, will have a chance. He worked as an assistant engineer in the Department of Public Works for over a decade before resigning from the post last year to actively get involved in politics.

However, Mr. Khuba is cool and confident about getting the party ticket for the third time as he strongly believes the party’s national leaders would back him as he had implemented the Union government’s welfare and development programmes effectively in his constituency.