Hope Teachers will Elect a Teacher for Teachers’ Constituency – K K Manjunath
Mangaluru: “The Teachers’ and Graduates’ Constituency elections will be held during June 2018. I have been chosen as the candidate for the South-West Teachers’ Constituency. The Dakshina Kannada district, Udupi, Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Davanagere (Channagiri and Honnali) and Kodagu. Last time I had contested as an independent candidate and lost for 160 votes. I have learnt that without the support of any party, independent candidates will not win the elections, so I have joined the Congress. I hope this time the teachers will elect a teacher as the MLC to the South-West Teachers’ Constituency”, said the candidate for the South-West Teachers’ constituency K K Manjunath Kumar in a press meet held at the Congress office here on April 2.
Addressing the mediapersons Manjunath said, “Teachers are facing many problems which only a teacher can understand. During the JD(S) and BJP rule teachers were being harassed. After the Congress party came to power, the problems of the teachers were solved. From many years there was a difference in salary between the High school and Pre-university college teachers and the BJP and JD(S) failed to solve the difference in the salary. But the Congress government led by Siddaramaiah solved the problems and granted special remuneration by increasing Rs 1500 per month. Even when Kumaraswamy was the Chief Minister and Yeddyurappa was the Deputy CM the pension of the government workers was cancelled. Now the same party candidates are assuring of providing all the facilities in their election manifesto.
Many teachers had forced me to contest the elections in 2012, I voluntarily resigned from my job and contested the elections. In the last South-West Teachers’ constituency, I had contested as an independent candidate and lost for 160 votes. Many did not want a teacher to be the MLC, the opposition created confusion among the voters and threatened the teachers who supported me. The opposition also misled my friends making them stay away from me by creating confusion. One of the MLC has even printed the brochures of the independent candidates and is helping them to contest from the Teachers’ constituency so that the votes will be divided. So I thought that as an independent candidate one cannot win the elections. I know that the Congress has done good development work and has done justice with the teachers. So I decided to join the Congress and to contest the elections. Hope this time the teachers will surely elect a teacher as an MLC.”
When asked on the number of voters in the South-West Teachers’ Constituency, Manjunath said, “At present, there are 18650 voters and the number may increase in the coming days. In Dakshina Kannada, there are 6700 voters, Udupi -2600, Shivamogga – 4400, Chikkamagaluru – 2800, Channagiri and Honnali – 995 and Kodagu – 1004. We have the highest voters in Dakshina Kannada. Now the Sangh Parivar is involved in misguiding the teachers. I am contesting because I want to do justice to the teachers. Hope this time the teachers will vote for a teacher.”
DCC President Harish Kumar, Sadashiv Ullal, Lawrence D’Souza, Santhosh Shetty, Raghuraj and others were also present.