Congress candidate in the elections to the Legislative Council from South Teachers’ constituency Marithibbe Gowda has expressed confidence in winning the elections from the constituency for the fifth time in a row.
Speaking to reporters after filing his nomination papers in the office of the Regional Commissioner of Mysuru on Tuesday, May 14, Mr. Gowda said he had been the voice of the teachers in the Legislative Council during the last 24 years ever and was confident of securing their backing for a fifth time in a row.
Mr. Gowda was first elected to the Legislative Council from the South Teachers’ constituency comprising Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Mandya, and Hassan districts in 2000 as a Congress candidate. In 2006, he contested as an independent and succeeded for the second time. In 2012 and 2018, Mr. Gowda contested as a JD(S) candidate and was successfully re-elected.
However, due to differences with the JD(S) leadership, Mr. Gowda quit the party and his membership in the Legislative Council and joined the Congress.
Claiming to enjoy the blessings of the party’s Central and State leadership, besides the Ministers in charge of the four districts as well as the party MLAs of the region that are part of the constituency, Mr. Gowda said the presence of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and other Ministers at the time of filing his nomination papers has filled his campaign with strength.
While pointing out that the BJP-JD(S), which has decided to fight the ensuing elections to the Legislative Council in alliance, was yet to identify a candidate against him, Mr. Gowda said he was confident that the teachers comprising the electoral college in the constituency will support him.
Unlike the previous occasions when he was in the Opposition parties as an MLC, Mr. Gowda said the ruling Congress, which works for the welfare of the poor, would come to the aid of the teachers. The Congress government had already allocated ₹170 crore for the construction of a college building and hostel for Maharanis Women’s College in Mysuru, he said adding that he was confident of resolving the woes of the teachers under the Congress government.
Mr. Siddaramaiah, Minister for Social Welfare H.C. Mahadevappa, Minister for Agriculture N. Cheluvarayaswamy, and Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Madhu Bangarappa were also present when Marithibbe Gowda filed his nomination papers.
Mr. Siddaramaiah also accompanied Congress candidates for the elections to the Legislative Council from South West Teachers constituency K.K. Manjunath when he filed the nomination papers in the office of the Regional Commissioner of Mysuru on Tuesday, May 14.
