'Mr Peter' – a Name that Karnataka will Remember for long
By Meenakshi Karanth, Daijiworld.com Bangalore
December 7, 2006 will be marked as an important date in the political history of Karnataka. Reason? The announcement of the results of the Chamundeshwari assembly by-elections held on December 4. After a showcase of 66.35 per cent voters casting their vote, the result was finally announced.
Siddaramaiah, the Congress candidate beat his arch rival Shivabasappa, the candidate from Janata Dal (Secular) by a mere margin of 257 votes!
What makes his victory prominent is the fact that this was one election that both the Congress and JD (S) were banking on. There was a great showcase of money, power and control being displayed by the politicians. Interestingly there was a high degree of vigilance from the side of the Election Commission as well.
The victory, however is a small one and is not something that they can boast of. A margin of 257 votes for Siddaramaiah, who is known for having won there with margins in thousands, is a matter of mere numbers. What is interesting is that JD (S) managed to give him a tough fight with their first time candidate Shivabasappa. How did they manage to do that?
Siddaramaiah, today after winning the elections addressed the press and claimed that JD (S) always portrayed the fact that it was a battle that was being fought by Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy rather than Shivabasappa.
This election was a do-or-die-situation for all of them. Verbal battles between the parties went on without count. Allegations were followed by counter allegations. From politicians visiting temples, astrologers, old friends to spending vast amount of money, this election saw a grand display of political battle.
While speaking of temple visits, it is worthwhile to mention that both Siddaramaiah and Deve Gowda made it a point to visit South Kanara's famous temple of Sri Mookambika at Kollur. Siddaramaiah made sure he had a small talk with Udupi's Vishveshwara Theertha Pejawara Swami with whom he had a tiff earlier.
Apart from regular election updates on all news channels and newspapers there was another name that was making its rounds as well. If you have been monitoring the situation closely then you will hit bang on. Take your guess.
The name is 'Mr. Peter', as addressed by JD (S) Supremo H D Deve Gowda. Who is this 'Mr. Peter'? Well his significance is far beyond your imagination.
The so called 'Mr. Peter' is an IAS office from Andhra Pradesh who is presently the director the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Corporation. A graduate of Geology, Mr. Raymond Peter is a relatively young 50- year-old IAS officer who has made an impact in certain important decisions off late. If you're still wondering what the significance of this Mr. Peter in Karnataka is then read on. I guarantee you will be impressed by his methods of functioning.
Raymond Peter was appointed as the central election observer. The minute he landed in Karnataka there were a few appreciative moves by him. Considering the gravity of the situation where a fierce battle was expected Siddaramaiah and Shivabasappa, Peter had come prepared with all his measure to save Karnataka from becoming Bihar- like during elections. Adopting the model used by K J Rao in Bihar Peter moved on fearlessly.
Here is an overview of Peter's measures. First, Peter kept a close watch on all the politicians involved in the battle. Next, if he felt that anyone was violating the norms he decided to serve notices to all. There were around 6,000 police men brought in from the Karnataka State Reserve Police. Armed forces patrolled the streets of the constituency and took complete control of the conduct in the area. 48 hours before the elections all outside politicians were asked to leave the constituency, including the Chief Minister of Karnataka, H D Kumaraswamy. All vehicles that were not registered as party vehicles and were being used for campaign purposes were seized.
The polling day saw strict vigilance from the team. Out of the 356 polling booths only were claimed to be normal. The others were considered to be sensitive zones. Despite all such claims, polling went on smoothly without violence and with a high degree of transparency.
Now that the results have been announced there have been allegations by certain politicians that Peter did favour a certain party during his observations. However, the fact that an election of this magnitude was carried out so smoothly is what is commendable. Thanks to Mr. Peter Karnataka saw a very different approach to elections. Creating history here Mr. Peter has left a mark which will remains in the hearts of the people of Karnataka for long.
A Kannada tabloid reported certain rather stunning details regarding modern campaign measures used by Kumaraswamy. Around 40,000 mobile phones were distributed to the voters to make their lives easy and secure their votes. The tabloid also claims that it is one of the most expensive election campaigns ever.
This victory for the Congress is sure to stimulate a new political wave in the state. A hard blow to the efforts of JD (S), this can actually stir new conflicts within the state.
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