Cong, MES allege poaching of leaders from BJP in Belagavi

The allegations come as the BJP, which won by a majority in the Belagavi city corporation election on September 6, 2021, is in a fix over the deputy mayor post.

The Congress and the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) have alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to poach their women corporators in Belagavi.

Congress and the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) have alleged BJP is trying to poach their women corporators in Belagavi. (Agencies/Representative use)

The allegations come as the BJP, which won by a majority in the Belagavi city corporation election on September 6, 2021, is in a fix over the deputy mayor post.

Even though BJP has a clear majority to claim power in Belagavi city corporation, the post of the deputy mayor is reserved for a woman from the other backward classes.

BJP won 35 of 58 seats in a corporation. However, its OBC category women lost the polls, while Congress, which has ten seats and MES has four seats, have one female corporator each from the OBC category.

Vaishali Bhatakhande from MES representing ward number 10 and Jyoti Raju Kadolkar from ward number 3 of Congress belong to the OBC. Both parties alleged that the BJP has already approached their candidates with an offer to change party.

Congress City Block president Asif (Raju) Sait said BJP had approached and offered their candidate to join it. However, candidate Kadolkar rejected everything and showed her loyalty to the party. “Even though she joins or not BJP, she would become the deputy mayor as BJP cannot make MES candidate for the post which is known as anti-state,” he said.

MES city block president Shubham Shelke said their organisation candidate Vaishali Bhatkhande, too, was given an offer to join BJP, which she flatly rejected.

“How can Vaishali join BJP just for the deputy mayor post as she won the corporation election by defeating the BJP candidate.? MES known for its loyalty and never has ‘got sold’ itself for political offers,” Shelke said.

Responding to the allegations, Belagavi North BJP MLA Anil Benake denied contacting the duo, saying, “There is no chance of our party contacting these candidates to join our party. We wouldn’t bother even if we wouldn’t get the deputy mayor’s post,” he said.

The election to Belagavi City Corporation was held on September 3, 2021, and results were announced on September 6, 2021. However, Belagavi is yet to get a mayor. After Congress alleged that the delay was an attempt by the BJP to give control over the city’s administration to Belagavi south and north MLAs Abhay Patil and Anil Benake, the government announced mayor elections on February 6.

One of the BJP leaders who did not want to the named said the party has selected Vani Joshi, who defeated Jayasheela, the wife of former MES mayor Kiran Sainak from ward number 43, for the mayor’s post.

“Vani will be the first BJP mayor of Belagavi corporation, as she is not only a social worker but a Kannadiga by linguistics. We give priority to demands of the Kannada-speaking population,” he said, clarifying that Vani Joshi will be the first citizen of Belagavi.

The party leader further said that the BJP, which has a majority, should not choose an MES candidate for the deputy mayor’s post to keep away its political rival Congress party.

“We will work and agitate against BJP if it goes with anti-state organisation MES. It should not forget its commitment to the state and not give room to the anti-state organisation. It must be pledged to its homeland,” he said.