GP polls: M.Tech degree-holder throws his hat in the ring

GP polls: M.Tech degree-holder throws his hat in the ring

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, May 26, 2015 :A postgraduate degree holder in technology (M.Tech) and an alumnus of the National Institute of Technology, Karnataka (NIT-K), Shivanand K., is contesting the May 29 gram panchayat elections in Dakshina Kannada.

Mr. Shivanand, who studied Materials Engineering at NIT-K, Surathkal, is contesting the elections to the Aranthodu Gram Panchayat in Sullia taluk. He is also an alumnus of Mangalore University where he studied Materials Science (M.Sc in Materials Science).

With this, two post-graduates are contesting the GP elections in the district.

Vittal Malekudiya, a postgraduate degree-holder in Mass Communication and Journalism from Mangalore University, is contesting to the Naravi Gram Panchayat, Belthangady taluk, from the Maoist-affected Kutlur constituency.

If Mr. Shivanand is backed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Mr. Malekudiya is supported by the Communist Party of India (Marxists).

Though he studied materials science and engineering, Mr. Shivanand, who is in his 40s now, took up farming more than a decade ago. Speaking to The Hindu , he said that after his M.Tech, he worked with Kurunji Venkatramana Gowda Dental College, Sullia, for about two years and then took up full-time farming in his ancestral property.

He said that though he was not interested in contesting the elections, he filed his nomination papers for the first time as desired by the people of his village. In his Aranthodu constituency, there are 1,256 voters.

Mr. Shivanand said that education is required for better communication. As grants of the Union government are likely to be directly transferred to the gram panchayats, the presence of more number of highly educated members would help keep a watch on the works of gram panchayats and stop corruption and corrupt practices.

Mr. Malekudiya, who is facing the charge of being a Maoist sympathiser, said that he is contesting the election for the development of his village. Kutlur has 700 voters. Mr. Malekudiya, aged about 24, said that politics is responsible for many changes. By entering politics, he wants to bring a positive change in his village.

 

Courtesy: The Hindu