The Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) has made it compulsory for ticket aspirants to donate ₹50,000 to contest the upcoming Karnataka assembly election from the Khanapur constituency, the organisation said on Wednesday.
During a meeting of the office bearers held at the organisation’s office in Khanapur on Wednesday, the pro-Maharashtra organisation, which has not yet applied to get the political party status from the Election Commission, said it too needs funds to run the activities during the election for which the aspirants must donate the fixed sum apart from the non-refundable amount which would be announced shortly.
The donation amount should be paid at the organisation’s office ‘Shivasmarak’ in Khanapur town before 2 pm on Feb 10, and a receipt should be obtained, the organisation said.
“To get managed the election expenditure, it may be recalled that the state Congress block collected a donation of ₹2 lakh from each ticket aspirant to get the party ticket to contest the next election, which method MES has also executed,” the MES said.
MES, which during the 80s in the last century had 4-5 legislators, including Khanapur, was whitewashed in the last two elections.
“MES is worried as its present generations do not know the 66-year struggle of their parents and grandparents to get merged the Marathi-speaking places in Karnataka into Maharashtra for which a grass-root campaign is required, which will be started soon,” said former Khanapur MLA Digambhar Patil.
Khanapur taluk MES president Gopal Desai said since the hearing of the border dispute between Karnataka and Maharashtra in the Supreme Court is in the last stage, winning the constituencies of disputed areas is a must for the party’s plans.
The organisation has lost the two previous elections over many internal reasons. However, there are no such issues among the workers now. “We have a common goal in the border dispute, especially since it is in the court. So we will forget our past differences ahead of the elections,” Desai said.
