‘Vinayotsava’ likely to kick-start Congress campaign from Kittur

Vinay Kulkarni, who was silent for almost a year after being released on bail in a criminal case, is all set to announce his electoral plans through a birthday event to be attended by top State Congress leaders

Vinay Kulkarni, who was silent for almost a year after being released on bail in a criminal case, is all set to announce his electoral plans through a birthday event to be attended by top State Congress leaders

 

With Assembly elections in the State just six months away, the former Minister Vinay Kulkarni, who has remained out of the limelight for almost a year after being released on bail in a criminal case, is all set to announce his electoral plans through a big birthday bash in the town of Kittur on November 7.

Barred entry

As the Supreme Court has barred his entry to Dharwad district, Mr. Kulkarni has been residing outside the district, mainly in Belagavi, frequenting Kittur, Saundatti, and also Shiggaon to meet his followers and the electorate.

Mr. Kulkarni’s birthday event is likely to kickstart the Congress campaign in the region. It is called ‘Vinayotsava’, reminiscent of Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah’s birthday event which was described as ‘Siddaramotsava’.

The fact that newly elected president of the AICC M. Mallikarjun Kharge will be participating in the birthday programme at Kittur shows the significance the Congress has attached to the event. KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar, Mr. Siddaramaiah and other prominent Congress leaders are also set to participate.

BJP questions event

The BJP is wary of the development and its local leaders have started questioning Mr. Kharge’s likely attendance at the Kittur event and what message the Congress would like to convey to people by participating in the birthday programme of a “murder accused”.

However, unmindful of the criticism, Congress leaders such as Babasaheb Patil, Laxmi Hebbalkar, MLA, and Channaraj Hattiholi, MLC, from Belagavi are busy in the preparations for the event, which is likely to see a congregation of around 3 lakh people.

In Panchamasali movement

Together with the former Minister M.B. Patil, Mr. Kulkarni had led the movement to seek independent religion status for Lingayat faith before the last Assembly polls.

Mr. Kulkarni belongs to the Lingayat Panchamasali community, a demographically strong section which is the news for its continued agitations on the demand for inclusion under 2-A category of the other backward classes. In the Panchamasali movement, Mr. Kulkarni is seen with BJP leaders Basanagouda Patil Yatnal and Arvind Bellad, among others. Mr. Bellad and Mr. Yatnal, however, courted controversy recently for their remarks on taking away reservation facilities from Muslims and giving them to Panchamasalis.

Case history

Mr. Kulkarni was arrested on November 5, 2020, in connection with the murder of zilla panchaayat member Yogeeshgouda Goudar and after the apex court granted him bail he was released from Hindalaga prison in Belagavi in August 2021, after nine months of his arrest. Mr. Kulkarni was a Minister in Siddaramaiah-led Cabinet after having won from Dharwad for the second time in 2013. He lost against BJP’s Amrut Desai in 2018.



Source link

Leave a comment