Belagavi: Language politics out as BJP emerges clear winner, Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti takes a hit

The BJP secured a clear majority in the 58-member Belagavi City Corporation (BCC) by winning 35 seats.
Police barricade the area outside a counting booth in Belagavi on Monday
Police barricade the area outside a counting booth in Belagavi on Monday

BELAGAVI: The BJP secured a clear majority in the 58-member Belagavi City Corporation (BCC) by winning 35 seats. The pro-Marathi 'Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti' (MES), which wielded power for several decades in the civic body, suffered a humiliating defeat by winning just three seats.

For the first time in the three-decade-old history of BCC, MES-supported candidates failed to gain a majority. The Congress’ plans to gain a majority by roping in victorious MES and Independent candidates failed as it eventually accounted for 10 seats, while Independents won in 9 wards. The AIMIM sprang a surprise by winning one of the six seats it contested.

Ever since the BCC came into existence, a majority of corporators were divided into Kannada and Marathi groups and the latter, supported by the MES, held power for most of the time. For the first time, parties fielded their candidates this year. The large Marathi population, which rallied behind MES in all previous BCC elections, apparently dumped it this time round and voted in favour of BJP. The Kannada-Marathi language politics, which hitherto was deep-rooted in BCC politics, has finally ended, thanks to the entry of political parties.

The BCC politics had been the root cause for the worsening Kannada and Marathi language politics for a long time. While most of the victorious Marathi-speaking corporators teamed up to form a pro-Marathi group, another group of Kannada-speaking corporators formed a Kannada group. On most of the occasions, the pro-Marathi group, which also includes MES members, came to power in the corporation while the Kannada group sat in the opposition benches.

Several leaders of Maharashtra, including CM Uddhav Thackeray, too had extended support to the Marathi group and thus, language politics in the corporation had continued unabated. The miserable performance of MES this time could be a setback for the Maharashtra which is fighting a legal battle in the Supreme Court for the merger of several areas of Karnataka in Maharashtra. Many top pro-Maharashtra leaders had recently opposed the raising of a Kannada flag in front of the BCC office.

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