For the Kittur constituency in Belagavi district, the Congress Party recently announced the candidacy of Babasaheb Patil in its second list of nominees. However, family and supporters of the former minister, D B Inamdar, have expressed their opposition over the decision. Members of Inamdar’s family have even gone as far as to threaten to quit the party altogether.
Christening this decision as “inhuman”, Laxmi Vikram Inamdar, D B Inamdar’s daughter-in-law, addressed the media on Friday. She revealed that the former minister was under treatment at a hospital and that his family would soon decide if they would stay in politics or not. Inamdar has served the Congress party in Indian politics for over half-a-century and was a 6-time MLA from the same constituency.
The Congress Party, one of India’s oldest political parties, is led by Sonia Gandhi and is currently in the opposition ruled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party. The Congress is based on Gandhian socialism and “social democracy” along with a commitment to secularism and national integration. Ever since its formation in 1885, it has been the principal function of protecting and strengthening India’s independence, preserving and strengthening democracy, defending the basic rights of all citizens, and fostering national integration and economic and social justice.
Babasaheb Patil is a prominent Congress leader from Belagavi district. He is an active member of the Indian Youth Congress and the All India Congress Committee. While his nomination has sparked a debate, Patil has previously held important positions such as Co-chairman of District Planning Committee, Arya Samaj District Chief and MPCC member, apart from serving as a state councillor.
D B Inamdar is an experienced Congress leader who served contested the Kittur constituency six times since 1978. He is an active member of the Indian National Congress and the Belagavi District Committee. He is also the former Minister for Cooperation and Sugar, Rural Development and Housing in the State Cabinet. Inamdar is respected by citizens all over the country, not just in his own constituency, and has achieved much in his decades-long career in politics, making his family’s feelings of hurt even greater in light of the Congress’ decision.
