By Team Mangalorean - Mangalore

MANGALORE, November 19, 2009: For a country as large as India and democratically governed it is election year every year! Presently the state of Karnataka is in the election fever. The Karnataka Legislative Council needs to renew 25 seats as many members (MLCs) will retire. Dakshina Kannada will have elections for two seats for candidates chosen by the local bodies. The election has been scheduled to be held on December 18.
 
Presently the Dakshina Kannada district has been represented by Mr. Pratapchandra Shetty (Congress) and Kota Srinivas Poojary (BJP). Mr. Shetty was elected in 2003 while Mr. Poojary was elected on the vacancy created by the death of Mr. Blasius M D'Souza in 2008. Tenure of these 25 members of Legislative Council will come to an end on 2010 January 5 and the new members will have to take their place.
 
In 2003 the Congress had an upper hand. Both seats were won by Congress candidates namely Pratapchandra Shetty -former MLA from Kundapura and late Blasius M D'Souza former Minister.  Mr. Shetty had polled 1995 votes while late D'Souza had polled 1704 votes. BJP's Monappa Bhandary had lost with 1642 votes. There were other two candidates namely Eshwar Bhat from JDS and the Congress rebel Mr.Jayarama Shetty.
 
In the by elections to the seat vacated by the death of Mr. D'Souza, Mr. Srinivasa Poojary had won defeating the Congress candidate Mr.Nityananda Mundodi with a lead of 293 votes.  Poojary had polled 3110 votes while Mr. Mundodi had polled 2817 votes.
 
This election will be closely contested as BJP would want more seats in the legislative council while Congress will try to regain the honour it has lost in 2008. Since it is the local bodies seats only the members of Zilla Panchayats of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, Taluk Panchayats Grama Panchayats, Udupi CMC, Mangalore City Corporation and Nagar panchayats of Kundapur, Mulki-Moodbidri and Bantwal will cast their votes.

The electoral college comprises of 5475 voters from both Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts.  In addition two MPs of Udupi and Shimoga and one MP from Mangalore 13 MLAs and four Council members and one Rajya Sabha member will also vote in the elections. Dakshina Kannada district has 1936 men voters and 1565 women voters in Dakshina Kannada while in Udupi there are 1416 men and 1157 women voters.