Bidar district, with a mix of Kannada, Marathi and Telugu speaking people, throws up an interesting picture in the elections. While Congress and the JD(S) had some constituencies in the past, the entry of the KJP is making the electoral battle interesting this time.
Bidar
It looks like a direct contest between present MLA Rahim Khan of Congress and former MLA Gurupadappa Nagamarapally of KJP in Bidar city. Nagamarapally won in the 2008 Assembly elections, but resigned as MLA to contest the Parliamentary elections in 2009 and lost.
Former president of Bidar CMC Ramesh Pande, a former MLA, is also in the fray as the BJP candidate.
Bidar South
JD(S) leader Bandeppa Kashampur, who is considered the right hand of JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy, is facing a stiff competition from NICE chairman Ashok Kheny in Bidar South.
Kheny is contesting from his own political outfit Karnataka Makkala Paksha. He is using all his resources to woo voters. The highlights are that in Bidar, Anilkumar, son of Gundappa Vakil, is contesting on a BSR Congress ticket while in Bidar South, his sister Meenakshi Sangram is contesting on a Congress ticket.
Bhalki
Bhalki is all set to witness the ‘battle of the Khandres’. Sitting MLA Eshwar Khandre of Congress has locked horns with Prakash Khandre of BJP. Prakash was the MLA from 1999 to 2004 and from 2004 to 2008. In 2008, Eshwar defeated Prakash.
KJP candidate D K Sidram is also a serious contender.
Aurad
Aurad, the most backward taluk, is witnessing a triangular fight among sitting MLA Prabhu Chauhan of BJP, Dhanaji of KJP and Vijaykumar of Congress.
Humnabad
In Humnabad, the stage is set for a battle between Nasimoddin Patel of JD(S) and Rajshekar Patil of Congress. Though this constituency favoured both Congress and JD(S) previously, it elected Subhash Kallur of BJP once in 1999.
In 1978, 1983, 1985, 1989, Basavaraj Patil Humnabad, who is the father of Congress candidate Rajshekar Patil, won on Congress ticket, while in 2003 and 2004, Mirajuddin Patel won. In 2008, Rajshekar Patil won.
Late Mirajuddin Patil’s brother Nasimoddin Patel is contesting as the JD(S) candidate. Rajshekar Patil’s father cannot campaign in his favour as he is a BJP MLC.
Basavakalyan
Basavakalyan is witnessing a clash among two former MLAs and the wife of a leader who was elected from Basavakalyan five times since 1983.
Basavaraj Patil Attur got elected in 1983, 1985, 1989, 1994 and in 2008 (BJP), M G Mule of JD(S) was elected in 1999. In 2004, Mallikarjun Khuba of JD(S) defeated Attur. A few months back, Attur joined KJP after quitting BJP. However, as his health did not permit him to contest, KJP has fielded Attur’s wife Mallamma as its candidate. Khuba is contesting as the JD(S) candidate and Maruti Mule BSR Congress candidate.