Bellary hopefuls queue up for plum posts

BELLARY, OCT 13: Even as the dust raised by the election settles down, political aspirants get ready for a rush of a different kind. With...

BELLARY, OCT 13: Even as the dust raised by the election settles down, political aspirants get ready for a rush of a different kind. With the Congress having won all eight Assembly segments in the district, the Lok Sabha seat too, by none other than AICC president Sonia Gandhi, every true Congressman is now heading for Bangalore, to find a place in various boards and corporations.

In Bellary district, the plum posts are waiting to be filled in Bellary Urban Development Authority BUDA, Hospet Urban Development Authority, Tungabhadra Command Area Development Authority CADA, Wakf Board, Tungabhadra Gramin Bank, besides nominations to several State-level boards and corporations.

For the chairmanship of BUDA, the main contenders are Niranjan Naidu and M Narayana Rao. Niranjan8217;s father, the late MLA K Bhaskar Naidu, is credited with a lot of development for Bellary during his tenure as the municipal president. Incidentally, Bhaskar Naidu was a close friend of Chief Minister S M Krishna, who would visit his house each time he came to Bellary.

Narayana Rao Chitti8217; in party circles, presently General Secretary of District Congress Committee, is into real estate. A cousin of Bellary City MLA M Diwakar Babu, Chitti actively canvassed for both Babu as well as Sonia Gandhi.

As for HUDA, the contenders include former MLA Rattan Singh and KPCC vice-president Abdul Vahab. Vahab is also aspiring for the chairmanship of the State Wakf Board. However, it is certain that whether it is Bellary or Hospet, K C Kondaiah8217;s reccomendation will carry weight.

Tungabhadra CADA is another prestigious post that covers Bellary, Raichur and now Koppal district. Earlier, the chairman was selected from Bellary and Raichur district alternatively. During the Congress reign in 1989-94, Bosaraju of Raichur district was the chairman. When the JD Govt came to power in 1994, Bheemaleni Kondaiah of Hospet was named chairman. Now, Bosaraju may stake his claim again as he is an expert on irrigation.

Besides, he has been elected MLA from Manvi Assembly segment in Raichur district. However, now that Koppal is a distinct district by itself, Congress leaders from there too may also stake their claim. Sources say that H G Ramulu, Koppal MP, will play a crucial role in this case.

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The post of director, Tungabhadra Gramin Bank, is another coveted seat, the bank8217;s operations extending in Bellary, Raichur, Koppal and Davangere district. However, since the inception of the bank, Lingaraj and Venkat Mahipal, the sons of Basavarajeswari, three-time MP and former Union Minister, have occupied the director8217;s post alternatively.

And then there are the nominations to the syndicate and senate for Kannada University, Gulbarga University, Kannada Development Authority and other State-level boards and corporations, whose selections are tougher than those for Assembly elections.