Mangalore/ Udupi: It is people’s participating democracy in Karnataka now, with strong opposition parties, women and youth as votebanks, enthusiastic candidates eager to hold positions at the grassroots and a CM who encourages people’s representatives at rural / suburban /block levels to come forward and do their bit of service to common people in distress.
In DK district on the West Coast of Karnataka which is the first state in India to practice Panchayati Raj, nomination papers of candidates standing for elections (due on last day of 2010 here) multiplied by tens and hundreds. There are 215 papers on the final day fixed for nominations in DK (Mangalore) and 575 papers in Udupi (undivided Dk dt) districts.
If such is the enthusiasm just to fight for local bodies, imagine the voting power of the people here. The DC offices in both districts were inundated by candidates and their supporters, showing public unawareness at the grass roots in coastal Karnataka.
The ZPs and TPs this time could have plenty of new faces, were they to succeed in 2011 when results come out. On Monday, the last day for nominations, the desire to contest knew no bounds and everyone in DCO at Mangalore / Udupi felt as if he /she was the candidates in the ring. There are 25 seats in DK ZP and 125 seats in six Taluk Panchayats in all. Besides, independents, women candidates, backward classes reserve candidates have passed through the gates of DCO in large numbers.
In Udupi 124 nominations for ZP and 391 for TPs were filed on Monday. Here, ZP has 25 seats and 3 TPs have 95 seats in all. For various reasons, the candidates were too busy to file their papers until Dec 20, it is reported from Udupi, hence the rush on last day.
There could be dummy candidates in both districts but they will withdraw this week by Dec.30.
As women had 50% reservations, they thronged the DCOs on Monday in large numbers, but earlier they had to be goaded into filing names by their own males, as many seats were available and few women thought of contesting. Women could even contest from common seats where men would file nominations. One wonders if ZP/TP winners would be mostly women and it is their empowerment at grass roots that counts in 2010.